


the harder the rain, the sweeter the sun

by lemonyellowlogic



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: (it's diego cause this has been a wip for years), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Murder, Blood, Blood and Gore, Character Death, Crying, Death of a Parent, Deceit | Janus Sanders Has a Different Name, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fire, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fratricide, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Hiding, Insecure Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Internalized Homophobia, Lies, M/M, Magic, Minor Character Death, Multi, Politics, Slow Burn, Unsympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:20:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 36
Words: 55,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25681930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemonyellowlogic/pseuds/lemonyellowlogic
Summary: Prince Roman Sanders of the Sanders Kingdom lived his entire live desiring more than just becoming king, he wanted to actually live, explore the world. When his jealous younger brother plots to kill him, he escapes across the border into Alimagia, a realm of magic users who his father tried to destroy, and is found by a group of Alimagians.Roman hides his identity from them, living peacefully until neighboring villages are beginning to be attacked by the kingdom for the first time in decades. Roman has to figure out a way to save his kingdom and Alimagia with the help of people his kingdom attempted to erase, but he has to do that while still managing to hide the secrets he holds buried deep down.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Deceit | Janus/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton (Sanders Sides), Dr. Emile Picani/Sleep | Remy Sanders
Comments: 65
Kudos: 59





	1. the beginning

“My son, long ago, in this world, there was a kingdom ruled by men, named the Sanders Kingdom. This kingdom ruled over all of the humans, the purest of the races.

But, across the border lay the realm of Alimagia, where the wicked magic creatures lived and plotted. Years and years ago, they had free reign over all of the world, but a single man refused to bow down to their evil. 

He gathered an army, and defeated the wicked Alimagians, pushing them behind the border and allowing the humans to be free. This man was named Thomas Sanders, and it was him that the kingdom was named after. He ruled for the rest of his life as a kind, just leader, and it is him that the kings have always looked up to.

You, my son, are the descendant of the great King Thomas, and one day, it will be you who will be the kind and just king our people need.”

The young prince looked up to his father with bright eyes, a wide smile on his face.

“I will, papa! I’ll defeat the evil Ali…Alimag…”

His mother helped him, “Alimagians, dear.” as she played with his little brother, Remus, near the king and prince.

“Yeah, I’ll defeat them, mama! I’ll make sure you never get hurt!!”

The queen chuckled, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes as she held her child close to her breast, “Alright, Roman. Alright.”

* * *

Roman sat, his back completely straight as he listened to the court talk about new taxes and what have you. The prince didn’t care much for such meetings, but, if he was to be king one day, it was important he learned of every aspect that there was to rule the beautiful kingdom of Sanders.

However, his mind loved to wander during them, and so off it went, imagining a world of fun and freedom. Roman wished that he could just hop onto a horse and ride into the sunset, but he couldn’t. He had his people to think of, and his father and brother to worry about. He’d love to at least know what was beyond the forest that grew wild on their northern border, because at least then the people wouldn’t have to be afraid of it. Alimagia was a dangerous place, but how dangerous could it-

“Roman!” The king barked, and the prince jumped, his mind clearing and returning back to his head. The court all stared at him, awaiting his response, most relaxed but some annoyed.

Roma sheepishly grinned, “I apologize, what was the question at hand?”

His father took a deep breath, pinching his brow, “The court asked if you had any other idea of what the increase on the people’s income tax should be or how it should be announced.”

Roman’s hand went to his chin, his thumb sweeping across his lips as he thought. 

The court liked him enough. It was a mixture of people, one leader representing each village in the kingdom, some poor and some filthy rich. Roman, as a prince, would consider himself to be wealthy, but he was born into wealth and had done nothing to gain it. He had spoken with the poorest villages of the castle’s adjoining town and he wanted to speak for their plight, because Roman knew that they needed the loudest voices to speak for them.

“Well, it shouldn’t be one general number. The very poor shouldn’t pay the same as the very richest. One-tenth of everyone’s income if their income passes…” Roman hummed, “Let’s say fifty-thousand gold per year should probably be enough to sustain our kingdom comfortably if everyone does their share.”

His father nodded, many representatives smiling gratefully at him while others scowled. 

“I see your point, my son. We will continue to speak on the subject another day, however, as this day’s time has almost run out.”

The king stood, “This meeting is adjourned,” and the representatives filed out of the door one by one and continued out of sight down the halls. Roman planned on following them out the door and talking to Elliott, the youngest representative and elected leader of the village Beania. However, he was stopped by someone forcefully grabbing the back of his tunic, pulling him back. 

He jumped in surprise, but his face quickly settled as he stared at his younger brother, Remus.

Rolling his eyes, he asked, “What is it, Remus?”

“What, I can’t just ask my big brother how the meeting went? Wow, how cruel of you. I’m hurt.”

Roman pushes the man off him, straightening his tunic as he glared back at him.

“Name one time you ever actually asked about my day.”

Remus looked back at his, his brow furrowing. Roman continued, “Anyways, it was fine. We got things done and I believe the people will be pleased. Is that all?”

“Ooh, pleased. What does that mean? You gonna give them prostitutes?”

Roman’s face contorted and he brushed an imaginary piece of dust off of his shoulder, “No, you dimwit. The tax will be equal throughout all of the people past a certain point.”

“Uh oh, I dunno if people will be happy with that, especially people who’ve been at our father’s side the longest. You prepared for them to leave you, to leave us?”

Roman sighed, “You have nothing to do with this, Remus, and those people were at our father’s side for the wrong reason, but of course you wouldn’t know. Have you ever taken a simple class on civics?”

Remus’ face reddened, “Well, no, but that doesn’t matter!” 

He spat, “I’ve learned more from being at our father's side throughout the years then you’ve learned in some dumb class. I should be king!”

Roman rolled his eyes, “Stop making a scene, Remus.”

“A scene! I-You!”

Remus glanced around and saw most of the nobles and leaders' eyes on his, confused and annoyed at his yelling. He growled, pushing Roman back and running out the hallway. 

Roman sighed, straightening his tunic as he turned to look at Elliott, who rolled their eyes and clapped Roman’s arm as they walked up to him.

“Sorry about your brother, do you know what’s going on with him?”

Roman chuckled as the two continued walking, “This is normal, he’s usually like this.”

“What’d you mean?”

“He always starts idiotic arguments in an attempt to humiliate me, but he always ends up making a fool of himself instead. I don’t know why he dislikes me so, but it’s just a fact of life.”

“Is he jealous of the throne?”

“Possibly. However, that doesn’t matter. How is your village?”

“We are…alright. We’re running a bit low on seeds for our crops as multiple of our farmers had some thieves during the summer who stole some supplies.”

“How many do you need?”

“Ehh, a few pounds for each farmer, if that is alright?”

“I’ll talk to my father about it, but I think that is definitely doable.”

“Truly? Oh, thank you, Roman.”

“It’s nothing, Elliott.”

The prince yawned as they walked, and Elliott smiled at him. He smiled back sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he cracked it, “Apologies, my good friend, but I’m truly exhausted after today. I’ve got to head to sleep, but I will see you tomorrow.”

“Alright, goodbye!”

Roman waved them goodbye as he walked to his bedroom, sighing as he closed his door. Sitting on his bed, he pinched his brow. He laid back, staring at his ceiling, the stars painted by his mother shimmering with the setting sun’s light.

Roman often wonders how different his life would’ve been if he was born to a common family. He would be able to have friends outside of politics, maybe even jousting or becoming a knight, but no. Roman was to become king, and though politics were not something he loved, he had to allow it to become his life and his passion to help his country.

Maybe Roman could’ve even found love. But no, his love had to be political, choosing from one of the nobles’ or chiefs’ daughters to wed instead of finding it naturally. He wasn’t even sure if he liked women at all, but that doesn’t matter, it’s his job to be king and to have a successor. He wasn’t allowed to love someone who couldn’t help him be king, so he wasn’t allowed to make his own choices.

It made him sad. He wanted to be his own person, to be free, but he isn’t allowed.

Looking out of his window, Roman saw that it was almost completely night, and so he got ready for sleep. Roman shrugged off his tunic and slacks, throwing them into a hamper the maids would pick up the next morning. He tiredly put on some sleeping clothes before falling into his bed, leaving his candle lit as he wrapped himself into a tight cocoon of warmth and passed out.

* * *

Remus grumbled to himself as he stalked through the hallways, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. It wasn’t fair. Roman was the worst person for king, but only because he was born first, he got to rule. Sure, Remus may not know as much politics as his brother, but he is still educated on the subject, he is, after all, second in line.

A thought seemed to fall into Remus’ head, and he froze where he stood. If Roman were dead, Remus would be the only candidate for king. But, Roman wouldn’t just die out of nowhere and Remus couldn’t do that to his brother, he’d look like a monster if he was caught. He has to make a plan. As he walked by Roman’s slightly ajar door, he peeked in, and a grin split upon his face upon the sight of his brother in bed. Perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! i've been writing this story for over two years now, and i am so excited to finally share it with all of you! i have all of the chapters written already, but with school, it's going to be difficult uploading all of them. however, they'll all be out soon, so stay excited for more!
> 
> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	2. the meeting

A loud pounding sounded on the prince’s door. Roman yawned awake, the morning sun glaring into his eyes. Roman winced, raising his hand to shade his face as he sat up, rolling out of his bed. As he stretched, he heard another pound in his door. Roman’s brow furrowed, and he quickly walked over to the door, trying to straighten his sleeping clothes as much as he could. **  
**

Opening the door, he found one of his father’s knights standing there, a blank look on his face. Roman cleared his throat, straightening his back and asking in a flat tone, “What is it, sir?”

“Your father has asked for you in his study in an hour’s time, and he does not wish you to be late. That is all, Your Majesty.”

Roman nodded, “You are dismissed, tell my father I will be there.”

The knight nodded once in response before turning away in the direction of the king’s study, back straight and taught.

Roman slowly closed his door, sighing as he leaned against it. He wondered what his father wanted today. He’d already scolded Roman for things committed by his younger brother the night before, but of course Roman had to take the blame, he was to be king, he had to take responsibility.

Oh, but how much Roman wished he could just punch his idiot brother straight in the nose at least once.

Roman shook his head, clearing his thoughts and walking over to the bathroom attached to his quarters, quickly stripping down, bathing, and wrapping himself in a robe. He left the bathroom after washing his face and brushing his teeth, slowly walking to his dresser, from which he pulled a pressed white tunic. He set this on the bed, along with some black slacks from another drawer and socks from another. 

Roman quickly dressed, singing a soft tune to himself as he plucked his red sash from where it was hanging in the closet, proudly smiling as he adjusted it. Roman was awarded this sash weeks after his sixteenth birthday, when his father formally announced that he would be his successor to the throne. 

The people had voted on him instead of Remus, and he won in a landslide. A celebration was thrown, and Remus had glowered throughout the entirety of it, Roman relishing every second of it.

Roman loved his brother, he truly did, but at the same time, despised him with all of his heart could. Remus was selfish, dirty, demented, doing only what he wanted and not caring if he hurt whoever was in his way. Roman missed how they were before, when they were close, never thick as thieves and still caring for one another. But once Roman started his preparations for the throne at age thirteen, Remus changed into a selfish, envious brat of a prince, who wanted everything he could see or touch, a person he still is.

Anytime Roman did something praiseworthy, Rems tried to bring him down, to demean him, to make him look like a fool in front of the king, which worked too much of the time. The king, ever since his wife and the prince’s mother passed, had always shown more affection towards Remus and pushed Roman to the side. 

Roman from that point forward worked twice as hard to be a good ruler, which all of the citizens praised but his father ignored. In turn, Remus didn’t care about the people, only doing things he knew his father would like. 

Roman, finishing adjusting his sash, pulled on some boots and slipped out of his door and into the bustling kitchen, where the cooks' voices’ overlapped and the air was sweet with sugars from the morning pastries. Roman plucked one for a basket as the head baker walked by, grinning at Roman and the prince ran out of the kitchen as she playfully yelled at his back.

Roman laughed as he ran into the garden, where he lay on his back while licking the sweet remains of pastry from his fingers as he killed time waiting to meet with his father, the bright morning sun shining on his tan skin.

As the clock struck the hour, Roman groaned, standing up and brushing off his clothes before heading back inside and making his way to his father’s office. He felt stares of knights, and he was quick to meet their eyes for their head to turn away. A soft smirk rested on his mouth as he continued his walk.

Eventually, almost exactly an hour after he woke, he knocked casually on the office door, hearing his father say to come in. Roman nodded to himself straightening his back as he walked in.

He met his father’s eyes, and a smile grew on the king’s face, though it didn’t meet his eyes. He rose, wrapping his son in his arms, bellowing, “Roman, my eldest son, how have you been? Feeling well?”

Roman took a step back as his father released him, responding with a smile, “I’ve been doing well, your majesty, not anything unusual.”

The king clasped his hands together, his energy seeming to dim as he sat back down, “Good, that’s…good.”

He shook his head as he relaxed in his chair, and looked back to his son, “Roman, I have a proposition for you.”

“You do?”

“Yes. Well, how would you feel going on a hunting trip near the border?”

Roman tensed after hearing about the border, “Hasn’t there been growing tensions with the Alimagians? Are you sure that’s safe, Father?”

The king tensed, “Well, it would be a hunting trip but also to scout the border, to make sure none of their scum cross into our lands.”

Roman tensed hearing his father, but nodded, “Who would be coming with me?”

“Your brother has enlisted two of his best guards to be by your side and I have approved them to be respectable, good knights for you, my son.”

Roman was taken aback, “Why does Remus have a say in this?”

“It was his idea for the trip. He is unfortunately busy, but asked if you could go in his steed. Is that alright?” His father asked, and Roman knew there was no worth fighting his father’s choice, and he nodded.

“When am I to leave?”

“Tonight at the latest, this is a quite urgent matter.”

Roman nodded once again, and his father sighed, raising his hand, “You may leave, and good luck.”

Roman bowed down low, and exited the room, but he didn’t see his father place his head in his hands as he left. The prince walked down the hallway in a slight daze, wondering about many things when he ran straight into Remus. Roman took a step back as his brother focused on his face, grin widening and asking, “So, dad says you’re going on a scouting trip? So sorry I can’t come.”

Roman tensed his jaw, “I’m sure you are. Now if you excuse me,” he attempted to walk away from his brother, who looked mock-offended.

“Are you trying to leave me? Do I not interest you enough? Aren’t you supposed to be a kind, just prince?”

“Yes, to my citizens, not to you.” He side-shouldered Remus and continued back to his room to collect his things before his journey later that day.

* * *

Hours later, Roman walked briskly to the sables, wearing his most comfortable and nicest looking riding gear. He politely asked a stableboy to retrieve and get his favorite horse, Marco, ready to ride. The stableboy nodded quickly and ran to do as Roman asked. Roman smiled softly as the boy hurried, but it soon fell as his vision was obscured by Remus’s grinning face. Roman scowled, putting his hand into Remus’ face and pushing him away, “What is it?”

“Brother, do you truly think I am so cruel to let you leave on a dangerous journey without saying goodbye?”

“Yes.”

“How rude of you! Anyway, I’m here to introduce you to the guards that will accompany you, meet Frank and Missy!”

He opened up his hands and two soldiers walked up from behind Remus, one male and one female, both kneeling at his feet.

“They are very good at what they do, so you need not worry, I promise.” His words were spoken like syrup on the skin, sweet but uncomfortable, wanting to be wiped off immediately but leaving a residue on you no matter what. Roman tensed, biting out, “Thank you, Remus. I shall be off then.”

He turned to find his horse right next to him, nudging its face into Roman’s shoulder. Roman nodded to the stable boy, who smiled in response as Roman handed him several gold coins, walking back to his station and getting back to work. 

As Roman sat on his horse, the guards got on their own, and the three began to ride to the dirt road, which if they followed straight would soon lead to the barrier. Remus yelled out from behind them to be safe, his statement ending with a loud laugh, which made a shiver run down Roman’s spine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (yes, the politics are a bit confusing but they'll be explained later on!)
> 
> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	3. the dragon

Roman and the two guards with him rode slowly on their horses, Roman leading them all carefully as they got closer and closer to the border of Alimagia. As they rode, thoughts swarmed Roman’s mind about the men. Why were they so defensive? Why did they not even attempt to speak? Why was his brother still allowed to pick them to guard Roman? Something fishy was surely going o-

Suddenly, Roman’s thoughts were cut off as he no longer heard his soldiers’ horses behind him. He turned and found them all thirty feet away beginning to set up camp. Roman’s stomach turned as he realized they were never going to notify him. But maybe they said something and Roman didn’t hear it. That must’ve been it.

No matter the cause, Roman rode back and attempted to lighten the mood that had a claim of these men since they’d set out.

“Well, it is a bit drab here, but we’ll get through it. ,“ Roman laughed, looking around the dank, dark area his men stopped at, “We shall leave tomorrow morning to scout the border, but do not harm or bother any of the Alimagians you may find, this isn’t their war.”

As Roman began to ride to a tree to tie up his horse, in the back of his mind a thought tickled him strangely: why would they stop without his permission? Roman ignored it, deciding his men were just tired and maybe thought he had said something to indicate them to stop. 

Either way, Roman pushed it aside and quickly tied Marco up, brushing his hand down the horse’s snout a few times before he started unpacking a small bag he had packed for the journey. He sighed, removing his crown and running his hand through his hair, before placing the crown into the bag full of a set of sleeping clothes. 

As he began to set up a tent for himself, he heard the familiar sound of a sword being unsheathed. He had heard it for years and years and tensed at the noise. He looked up, hoping that it was a knife or ax, but then saw the strong glimmer of a sword in a guard’s hand, the setting sun’s light that was reflecting on it no longer warm, but now harsh and burning. 

Roman’s eyes widened, and he just managed to jump away as the sword came crashing down in front of where he just stood, surely about to end his life.

“Wh-what? I demand you stop!” Roman shouted towards the man, who looked up at Roman with a smirk that stretched across his face with grinning eyes.

“Sorry, Prince, “ The guard mocked, pronouncing Roman’s title like bile in his mouth, “But duty calls.”

He swung down the sword once again, but instead, this time Roman ripped his own sword out of its sheath and parried it, betrayal evident in his face. As Roman beat back at his attacker, the other “guard” readying her own sword and joined in the fight, attacking from Roman’s back.

Roman felt the burning cold of pain sear through his side and shouted in agony as he attempted to fight back, to defend himself. 

He tried to deflect the guards’ attacks, but as he pressed one of his hands to his oozing side, the men still managed to cut into him, tiny slices that by themselves were nothing, but all together were fatal untreated. Roman yelled at himself in his mind how he should’ve never trusted Remus, but tried to push it down as his energy began to dwindle.

Roman knew that his chance was limited and that the guards’ attacks were only getting harsher as he grew weaker, and with his last bit of strength, he ran. 

He sprinted, his bag slapping against his back as he ran as fast as he could while bleeding out. The guards began to follow before Roman heard one tell the other, “Don’t waste your time. He’ll be dead within the hour and then we’ll report back to Prince Remus and get our reward.”

Roman ignored the voices and trudged through the forest, gasping out in pain every fifty feet or so, but he continued on, he had to continue on. Roman prayed to find a kind Alimagian to help him or at least water, as his body just grew weaker and weaker. 

Roman’s face was frozen but his hands shook as they pressed against his largest wound, his own blood seeping from his fingers. The guards were trained for this, trained to kill, and Roman should never have trusted Remus, that bastard. He was so very lucky he escaped with his life, but blood was still seeping from under his tunic, his red sash matching the color well. Too well.

As he staggered through the forest, Roman felt his eyes growing heavy and his energy dwindling. But yet, he pushed forward.

As he dragged himself through the thick, dark forest, his throat yearned for water, and in the back of his mind, he knew he wouldn’t be able to walk on for much longer. Luckily, right before Roman was to fall, exhaustion gripping his bones, he faintly heard the trickle of a creek. 

A smile grew on his face as his hand pressed against his wound, and he began walking towards the water, using the rest of his strength to do so. He finally stumbled into the area surrounding the creek and saw a pair of eyes meet his.

A crouching boy looked up at Roman, their mouth still wet with water just drank. He looked close enough to be a human, but his very pointed ears signaling that he wasn’t at all. Black marks curled under his eyes and dragged down his cheeks, finally ending right before his jaw. Roman stumbles back as the alimagian scanned his body with their eyes, their mouth dropping open slightly after a quick moment. 

A slow mutter grew under his breath, his green eyes flashing bright white, turning a glowing purple seconds later, “A human.”

Roman’s eyes widened and knees quaked as the boy’s skin bubbled, stretching and pulling over his cracking bones. Thick scales poked out from his skin and began to cover his body. He grew larger and larger and eventually, a titanic purple dragon stood above him, teeth bared in a grin, eyes gleaming.

Roman fell flat on his back as the dragon stood over him, the dragon’s eyes burning with anger and its fiery breath burning Roman’s skin. The dragon laid one of its feet onto Roman, who wheezed as the air was pushed from his lungs.

“Who are you?” The dragon growled, it’s breath like fire on Roman skin.

Roman choked out, “I-I mean no harm! P-please! I was a-at-attacked-”

“By who?” The dragon pushed down harder, not hard enough to kill, but hard enough to cause damage.

“I-I don’t know them! They tried to k-kill me but I escaped. Please, don’t kill me!”

The dragon purses its lips, “What was your purpose for being in the forest?”

“I didn’t try to come here, I was on a sc-scouting trip at the border, just doing as I was told when men I was tr-traveling with bet-betay-betrayed me!”

Seconds passed as the dragon seemed to think. Then, he asked, “Will you harm an Alimagian?”

“No, never! They-they’re just pe-people!” Roman gasped.

Hours seemed to pass as the titanic violet reptile stared down at Roman when it was really just seconds. Finally, the dragon sighed, removing its foot from Roman’s body as it took a step back.

He groaned, “I’m going to hate myself for this.”

Roman, still lying on the ground, sighed in relief, but his adrenaline began to slow, and all of the pain came back in a harsh wave. 

Roman made a choking sound as his hands went to his wound, steadily continuing to spill blood from his side. The dragon, hearing him, looked back down at Roman, and his eyes widened.

“You’re wounded.” He said, kneeling to Roman’s side.

Roman moaned, clutching his side as the world around him began to blur. And as the dragon began to lean down and pick Roman up, he passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	4. the cottage

Roman’s eyes blinked open, a soft mattress in his back. He groaned, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He looked around finding himself in a cottage of sorts, small but homey. He yawned, and carefully felt his chest. It was still very sore, but now seemed to be wrapped in bandages and a kind of healing paste, and the wound was healing. 

Roman’s eyebrows furrowed as he questioned where he was, but he brushed it off, hoping that the home he laid in was kind, as they did wrap his wounds. He stood up, the wooden floor underneath his feet creaking somewhat loudly. The quiet muttering suddenly ceased, and he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. 

Roman tensed, instinctively going for his sword, but was surprised to find it missing. Well not surprised, as he assumed that while being cared for they would’ve stripped him of his belongings, but he was still startled.

Roman eyed the doorway and found the dragon-boy walking in with an aura of anxiety just faintly masked by his inquisitive expression. Roman and the boy made eye-contact and the boy froze, his eyes widening.

“Oh, okay, you’re awake. That’s good, Remy was getting a bit worried.”

Roman tensed as the boy walked closer to him, his purple eyes focusing on his bandage wrapped chest. Roman swallowed. 

“Is your wound getting better? I mean, does it feel like its healing at all?’

Roman rasped out, “Who are you? Where am I?”

The boy cocked an eyebrow, “I’m the dragon that stepped on you and the person that saved you from death, and you can call me Virgil. And you’re in my house. That good enough?”

“I-I…where is your house specifically?”

“Where do you think? Alimagia,” He gestured mockingly dramatic, “The land where evil brews and hatred sings.”

“Who called it that?”

The boy chuckled slightly, shaking his head, “Humans.”

Virgil took a breath, shaking himself back into reality. “Okay, so your wound?

Roman tensed further, “It’s…fine.”

The dragon boy stared at Roman, eyes unimpressed, “Dude, you were bleeding out and almost died from an infection. I’ll ask again, how is your wound?”

“It’s…not great, but it’s not horrible.”

“Does it hurt at all?” 

“Just a bit,” Roman said, looking back down his body and eyeing the bandages wrapped tightly to his chest.

“Well, that doesn’t give me much to work with. Does it hurt enough that you need medicine or whatever?”

“No, I’m fine, you don’t have to worry about me.” Roman gave a tense but honest smile to the dragon, who’s cheeks grew slightly pink and who immediately looked away, his arms crossed across his chest.

“I don’t worry, human-boy.” Roman‘s smile stayed where it was, but it soon fell as Virgil asked, “So, do you have anywhere to go?”

Roman’s face fell once again, saying curtly, “No.”

Virgil hummed, “What’s your name?“ 

Roman startled, “Why do you want to know?”

“I mean, if you’re gonna be staying here, we should at least know each other’s names.”

“Staying here?”

“Yeah, staying here. Name?”

“I…It’s Roman.”

“Well then, Roman,” Virgil said, almost like he was trying the name out on his tongue, “You can stay here until you heal.”

“I..why? Aren’t you an Alimagian?’

“Yeah, but I’m not heartless, Roman. You’re just a person who got hurt, I’m not gonna throw you out.”

Roman was shocked, but he reached up, clutching the dragon’s hands in his own, “I…Thank you, Virgil. From the bottom of my very soul, thank you.”

Virgil’s face flushed beet red, ripping his hand away, muttering, “It’s whatever. You’re welcome, I guess.”

The room became quiet as Virgil kept looking anywhere but Roman, who decided to break the silence.

“So, you live alone? How old are you?”

Virgil looked back to Roman, his face slightly disgruntled, “No, I don’t live alone. I live with a couple and their son, Diego. And I’m seventeen.”

“Why do you live with them?”

“Cause I just do, human. That’s enough for you?” Virgil growled, and Roman backed off the subject.

“Yeah, sorry if it’s a sore subject. Where are they?”

“Emile’s out right now, and Diego is throwing a fit in his room.”

Roman quirked an eyebrow, “Why?”

“Hates humans, don’t ask me.”

The door to the living room creaked open, and both boys jumped to attention staring at it as a tall figure walked out holding a bowl. Roman met their eyes, which was the most startling shade of lilac he could have imagined.

“Oh, so the human is awake now.” They walked over, sitting on a chair near Roman’s cot and placing the bowl, full of seeds on the table next to them.

“Do your wounds hurt at all?”

Roman’s throat felt like it was sandpaper as the Alimagian continued to stare at him, but he scraped out, “No, I’m okay.”

They hummed, stroking a non-existent beard. “Alright, are you hungry then?”

“I…a little bit.”

“Virgil,“ The boy looked over from awkwardly staring at his nails, “Could you get him some food? Just bread and such?”

“Yeah, Remy, I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Don’t rush yourself.”

Virgil looked at Roman who looked back, fear lining his eyes. Virgil snickered, “I won’t, Rem.”

He walked out, closing the door behind him.

Remy stared at Roman, their piercing pale eyes seeming to dig into Roman’s skull. He gulped, his shoulders tense.

“Why are you here?”

Roman jumped at the break in silence, “Pardon?”

“Why’d you cross the border? It’s heavily protected by both our people and….yours.”

“It-”

“Were you given permission by the royal family to cross? Are you a spy for them?” They seemed to spit out the words like they gave a bad taste in their mouth.

Oh. They didn’t know. How could they, it’s not like Alimagians were told specifics about the royal family. “I…I and a few others were given permission by the royal family to hunt near the border, but the people who went with me…ended up trying to kill me. I fought back but then ran away once I lost my sword. I crossed the border by accident and only realized once I met Virgil.”

Remy continued to stare through narrowed eyes, and Roman swallowed, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Roman repeated.

“You may stay with us, however, if I find out that you were lying, it will not be pretty.”

“Okay, sir. Thank you so much.”

Remy hummed, standing up and pointing at a side table Roman hadn’t noticed, “Your bag is there, we haven’t looked through it for privacy sake, but I’m hoping nothing incriminating is inside.”

They pursed their lips and nodded to themselves before sighing and quietly walking to the door, opening it to show a startled Virgil standing there, a small plate filled with bread and berries in his hand. Virgil’s face flushed red and his other hand clutched at the back of his neck,”I..um..sorry, Remy, I got curious.”

Remy smiled, their face finally showing an emotion that didn’t cause terror in Roman, “It’s alright, Virge. Will you wake up Diego? Emile will be back soon and the two of you need to make breakfast.”

Virgil groaned, “Fine.”

Virgil played the plate on the table next to Remy’s bowl of seeds and ran up the stairs. Remy walked back over to the same table and picked up their bowl, looking at Roman once more. Roman looked back, and Remy just continued out of the room and outside of the house, called back for Virgil to help Roman find other clothing.

Virgil shouted back that Roman’s fine with what he’s wearing, and Roman let out a breath, falling back onto the cot. His hands pressed into his eyes as a groan fell from his mouth.

How dumb was he? Of course Alimagians hated the royal family. They were the ones who attacked them and spread hatred about their entire people. He can’t let them know. If they found out, they’d surely kill him. He just has to fly under their radar until he’s healed enough to return home, and when he does that, he can tell his father about what Remus had done and everything will be fixed.

Why did Remus do it? He always knew Remus hated him, but enough to try and get him assassinated? Why?

The door creaked open and Virgil stood there, holding a simple red tunic and slacks, and he then proceeded on throwing them at Roman, who ducked trying to dodge them.

“Get dressed, no one wants to see your half-naked body.”

Roman winked at the dragon witch, who scoffed and walked into the connected kitchen. Roman stood, realizing that he only had on his socks and underwear. He flushed, pulling on the long black slacks quickly.

He looked around, making sure no one was in the room, before grabbing for his bag. He held his breath as he opened it and didn’t let it out until he saw his jeweled crown sitting inside of it along with a shirt and pants made for sleeping, but also clearly royal made. He pursed his lips, closing the bag and slipping it under the couch for safekeeping. He can’t have someone finding what’s inside of it.

The door opened again, and a new person walked out. Roman jumped, sitting up quickly. They frowned at Roman immediately from underneath their curly brown hair, but Roman could only focus on the golden scales covering the right of his face, shining against his copper skin. 

His golden eyes glared at Roman, and a small snarl formed at his mouth, “What, human? Transfixed by a horrifying Alimagian?”

Roman’s mouth spoke without thinking, “You’re beautiful.”

The boy’s mouth shut closed, his eyes blowing wide before narrowing. He walked away, sitting down at the dining table with his arms crossed tight. Roman pulled on the shirt, a bit big but he didn’t care much, and picked up the bowl sitting on the table and walked into the kitchen. He sat at the dining table as well, as far away from the scaled boy as possible.

The air was awkward and Roman’s face continued to burn, Virgil breaking the silence with a cough as he continued cooking…something.

“So…uh…any of y’all like oatmeal?”

Diego rolled his eyes, “Sure, V.”

“Roman?”

He shocked at his name, looking over to Virgil, “Say that again?”

“Do you like oatmeal?”

“I am…okay with it. Why?”

“Well, Emile’s almost back so I’m making some cause he loves it, and I wanna know if you’d like any.”

“Oh no, don’t make anything for me, I already have this,” He gestured to the bowl of fruit in front of him, “Don’t put yourself out for my sake.”

Virgil shrugged, “It’s no big deal, if you don’t eat the berries, we’ll just give ‘em to the chickens anyway, and I like cooking.”

Chickens?

Roman smiled, “I am fine with the berries, Virgil. You mentioned chickens?”

“Oh yeah, we keep chickens in the back to get eggs and such. I hate them, annoying birds, but Diego adores them.”

“Virgil!”

Diego shouted, his tan face darkening.

“What, I’m right anyway. We don’t eat them or any kind of poultry, Emile gets offended if we do, so it’s just eggs.”

Roman’s brow furrowed, “Why would he get offended by-”

He was cut off by a loud sound outside like someone slamming into the ground. Roman heard Remy exclaim happily, “Emile!” and Diego hopped out of his chair, racing outside.

Virgil smirked, grabbing Roman by his upper arm and pulling him outside with him. 

In front of Roman, was a man with pink hair being hugged by Remy, but his hair wasn’t the strange part. The gigantic brown and white bird’s wings spreading out from his back were.

Virgil placed his elbow on Roman’s shoulder, smirking, “That’s why.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	5. the breakfast

Diego walked up next to Virgil and Roman, the latter’s mouth wide open as he stared at Emile in amazement.

“What, human? Never heard of an avian before?”

“I-um-I” Roman stuttered, before shaking his head and closing his mouth, his back stiff as Emile and Remy released each other from their arms and they looked towards the three boys watching them.

“Oh! The boy! Right!” Emile let go of his partner and walked up to Roman, gripping his hand and looking into his eyes, “I’m glad you’re okay! What even happened there?”

Roman blushed as he caught sense of all four Alimagians looking at him, and Virgil walked up, standing in front of Roman, “Come on, Em, he’s already had a long day and he’s been awake for less than an hour. He’s gonna stay with us like you wanted.”

Roman spoke up, a weak smile on his face, “If that’s still okay.”

“It’s more than okay! We’d never let someone in need leave while they’re hurt, I mean, look at this family for starters!”

Remy smiled behind him, hands on their hips, much more relaxed than when they talked to Roman earlier. They walked behind Emile, placing their hands on his shoulders, and Emile looked back at them, smiling. He leaned into their hands and let go of Roman’s, smiling up at their partner before looking at the three teenagers in front of them.

“Alright, few rules. First, no fighting.”

Remy pinched their brow, sighing, “Please.”

Diego grumbled under his breath as Virgil groaned, “Fine.” Roman simply nodded, a small smile on his face

“Second, no attacking the others, verbally or physically.”

“Isn’t that the same as ‘no fighting’?”

“Well…in a way, however, I don’t want anyone to feel unwelcome because of their race, understood?”

Diego rolled his eyes, “Sure.” as Virgil and Roman nodded.

“Alrighty! Now, what is your name again, I don’t think I caught it?”

Emile smiled, looking at Roman, and Virgil responded, “His name’s Roman, he was attacked by some travelers and accidentally crossed the border.”

Emile nodded, and Remy smiled over his shoulder, “Well, if they happened to follow you, we’ll quickly send them away.”

Roman nodded, “If I may ask, how far away is your home from the border?”

Remy thought for a second, but Diego responded over them, “I think it’s like ten miles, so you’re fine. Why did they attack you anyway?”

“I…” Roman thought for a second, but decided to be honest, “My brother wanted to take over the family business, so I believe he had some friends attack me while I was scouting the border so he could take the thr-the throne of the company after my father passed.” Close enough.

Remy narrowed their eyes, “What business?”

“We’re…lawyers. Very well versed with…decision making and laws.”

Remy looked at him for a moment before shrugging, “Sure, I can see that. Virgil,” He looked over, “Is the oatmeal ready?”

“It should be, y’all hungry?”

“Oh, very,” Emile picked up the bag full of groceries he’d bought from a near-by marketplace, “Come on, everyone, let’s eat.”

* * *

They all sat around the dining table, Emile’s winged folded nicely across his back, a bowl of oatmeal in front of every person. It was…tense, as Diego clearly hated the fact Roman sat next to him. Roman tried not aggravating him, eating his oatmeal with strawberries in silence with the others.

“So, Diego,“ Remy attempted to break the tense silence, “How’d you sleep?”

“Fine,” He grumbled, “Would’ve been better if we didn’t have a human here but I’ll live.”

“Diego,” Emile said, his voice tense, “We’re not going to be rude to our guests.”

“No, it’s okay,” Roman placated, “I get it.”

Diego looked at him, his golden eyes harshly glaring into Roman’s soul, “No, you don’t, you scum. Have you ever had a human you knew was going to destroy everything you cared about live in your damn house like nothing was an issue?”

Roman shocked backward, Remy saying loudly, “What did Emile say about being polite?”

Diego rolled his eyes, standing up, “Oh, who cares? Whatever I say doesn’t matter, right? All we needed was Virgil saying that Roman was fine for you two to let an invader live with us!”

Virgil stood up, pointing his fork towards Diego, “Watch your mouth, snake-boy!”

“I’m not a snake, they’re fish-scales, but I know you like reptiles better, you overgrown lizard!”

“Oh, that is it!” Virgil threw himself over the table, tackling Diego, Roman falling with them.

Diego punched upwards, hitting Virgil’s chin and knocking the dragon into Roman, who froze as Virgil jumped off of him and swung at Diego, elbowing Roman in the nose and knocking him back. Diego yelled, kicking Virgil in the face as he threw himself at him. 

“Hey!” Emile yelled, stepping in between the three teenagers laying on the ground in various states of pain. Blood seeped out from Roman’s hand which was clutched over his nose, and Roman moaned out in pain as he lay on the wooden floor. Remy held Virgil back as he tried to hit Diego again, saying, “We’re not doing this! Grow up, the both of you!”

“I didn’t start it,“ Virgil bit back, his eyes glowing purple with anger.

“You started everything when you brought him here!” Diego yelled back, hissing between his teeth.

Emile stood up from where he knelt between the two, yelling, “Both of you, to your rooms! Now.”

Diego jumped up, yelling out, “Fine!” as he clutched his bruised eye and stormed out of the room, Virgil following, nursing a busted lip. Roman continued to lay on the ground, tears pricking his eyes.

Emile pulled at his hair, kneeling next to Roman, “Goodness gracious, Roman, I’m sorry about them, Diego will get used to-”

“No, he won’t,” Roman sat up, staring at the floor as tears and blood dripped onto it, “I’m a human, and he deserves to be mad. All I do is mess everything up anyways,” He clutched at his knees, holding his face to them so the two strangers he was to live with wouldn’t see him cry.

“Oh, Roman,” Remy mumbled, holding Roman’s shoulder in their hand.

“It’s fine. I can figure my way back home. You guys have already helped me, I can…I can figure everything out.” Roman looked up, a broken smile on his face.

“Roman,” Roman turned to look at Remy who smiled at him, “We’re not kicking you out. Sure, you’re human. Your race doesn’t define you.”

Roman looked at the two Alimagians who smiled at him and he cried, “But I-”

“No but’s. You’re here with us, and until you’re safe to go home, you’ll be here, okay?”

Roman looked at Emile who had the softest look in his eyes as he spoke, and Roman nodded, sniffling as his face grew red with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry I started crying, childish of me, no?” Roman joked, shame filling his veins.

“It’s not childish, Ro. It’s normal and healthy. Never be afraid to cry in front of us, okay?”

Roman sighed, Remy’s words helping alleviate the guilt but not entirely, and he nodded.

“Now, go finish your oatmeal. We’ll bring the boys back out in thirty minutes or so to talk with them, and by then, Remy will help show you the ropes outside.”

Roman nodded, blood still seeping from his nose as he wiped it, He recoiled at the sight, before sighing, “Thomas and the five, I look a mess, don’t I?”

Remy nodded, “Yep, but we’ve got a sink and some towels. Go wash up.”

Roman hummed, walking back into the kitchen and cleaning his face before sitting back at the table, slowly spooning oatmeal into his mouth as he thought and Emile and Remy cleaned up the mess Virgil and Diego created.

“I had two rules. Two!”

“I know, honey,” Remy kissed their temple.

Roman held his chin in his hand as he thought, the bowl of oatmeal empty in front of him. 

Why were these Alimagians so ready to protect him against their own son? Roman hadn’t done anything to help them, all he’d done is give them more to worry about. He ruined their dynamic, causing fighting between Diego and Virgil. 

Diego hated him, just because he was human, but Roman knew it was justified. His family had attacked and killed so many Alimagians that he had no idea how to apologize.

No, Roman couldn’t even apologize, he’d already lied to them about his true identity. Roman knew it was the safest option though. If the family learned he was the crown prince, they’d surely be in danger. Remus wasn’t dumb and if he had any way of knowing Roman was still alive, he’d go after the Alimagians next.

Roman had to get Diego to like him soon for everyone’s protection, but how should he even start to try?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	6. the garden

Roman kneeled in the garden bordering the left of the cottage and next to the river, his hands covered in dirt. Roman had been weeding for only fifteen minutes that day, but he was already wiping sweat off of his brow using his lovely red tunic.

It was a week since he had arrived at the cottage, and everyone’s jobs began to be obvious. Emile helped keep the piece and gardened as Remy worked on some spells, Diego took care of the chickens, Virgil cooked the meals, but Roman was still trying to find his place. 

He knew that they were allowing him to stay while he was wounded, but after he was healed, he had no idea if they’d let him stay or not, so he wanted to stay on their good side and help as much as he could. He wasn’t very skilled with gardening, as he was never expected to learn simple things such as that, his studies prioritizing law-making and governing more than anything else.

Remy gave him the job of working in the garden on the first day Roman was there, and Roman stuck by it, doing the best he could. He wasn’t perfect, originally pulling up a couple of carrots instead of weeds, but he got the hang of it. Emile was extremely helpful, but he stayed on his side of the garden while Roman worked on his, making communication slightly difficult. 

Diego still hadn’t spoken to Roman, though, other than a muttered apology later at dinner on the first day. Virgil apologized too, but laughed through it, thinking Roman’s puffy nose as funny as anything. 

Of course, he got sensitive when Roman picked on his lip, so that was fun.

Roman wants to talk to Diego, to understand why the boy hates humans, hates him so much, but Roman was…scared. The atmosphere around Diego was awkward, but it could be so much worse if he confronts him and it goes badly. 

Roman doesn’t want to divide the family for a second time, so as long as he and Diego aren’t actively fighting, Roman could deal with the tenseness.

As he ripped a dandelion out of the ground, his mind wandered from Diego to Remus. How was he? Was he happy that Roman was gone, or is he sad? Probably happy, they hadn’t been close in almost a decade. Did he really try to have Roman killed, or was that just a strange misunderstanding? 

Well, the ‘knights’ did say that they were to ‘report back to Prince Remus’, but that could just be a joke, right?

Roman hoped so, but he knew in his heart it wasn’t. Roman does love Remus, he’s his little brother and they grew up together, but ever since their mother died, and since Roman was chosen over Remus to be king, things had…changed. They grew apart, and Remus grew jealous.

Roman’s thoughts were interrupted by Emile standing with a groan as he stretched out his back, his wings spreading out before returning to their folded position. Roman looked over to him and he met his eyes, winking.

“So, Roman, you did a pretty good job today, do you think any of the crops are actually ripe yet?”

Roman hummed, thinking before nodding, pointing to his garden, “Sure, a couple of carrots are ready and I think the lettuce is too.”

Emile walked over, checking the plants before nodding, “I’d say you’re right. Could you be a dear and pick some to have with dinner and give them to Virgil?”

Roman nodded, saying, “Sure, I could do that.”

Emile thanked him before wiping his hands on his pants and walking inside to wash off the rest of the dirt.

Very soon, Roman had a head of lettuce in the crook of one arm and three carrots nestled in the other as he walked back into the house. Remy and Emile lay together on the couch, cuddling, Roman guessed, and Roman quickly passed them and lay the vegetables on the counter closest to Virgil.

He groaned, stretching his back out as he asked, “What do you wish me to do with these?”

Vigil, without looking up from the water boiling on the stove, snarked, “God, quit with the proper talk. Just ask where to put them.”

Roman flushed but nodded, his hands wringing each other behind his back, “Apologies, what should I do?”

Virgil chuckled to himself before looking up at Roman, his eyebrows shooting to his hairline, “My goodness, wash the dirt off of you, what were you doing?”

Roman looked down at his front and noticed that there was dirt caked to his tunic, and he brought his hands up to his eyes to see they were covered with it as well. Roman somehow got even redder, “I…I haven’t been able to wash up yet, I am so sorry, Virgil-”

Virgil cut him off with a wave,” Okay, okay, stop with the apologizing, you’re not in trouble, Roman, I’m just teasing you.”

He snapped his fingers and the dirt on Roman was teleported to the outside, falling down ungracefully outside the window, “You can make a salad, just cut up the lettuce and put it in this bowl, “ He snapped his fingers again and a large bowl popped into existence into Roman’s hands.

Roman sheepishly nodded, replying, “Okay, then.” before he reached over and pulled a knife from a drawer. He turned back to his head of lettuce and began to chop it up. Roman had expected for Virgil to kick him out of the kitchen, not give him a job, but he focused on making the best salad the dragon had ever seen.

Roman chewed on the inside of his cheek as he thought of something to say, eventually choosing on, “Why do you like to cook so much?”

Virgil looked at Roman from beneath his bangs and a soft frown grew on his mouth, “I don’t like cooking that much, it’s just that when I was alone, my anxiety kind of convinces me that all food is poisoned or would kill me, so I got a habit of only eating what I cook, and it’s followed me to this day.”

Roman nodded, “Then why are you letting me make the salad?”

Virgil side-eyed Roman, “I’d love to give a dramatic answer about trust but I just don’t like cutting vegetables.”

Roman huffed out a laugh under his breath, and Virgil joined in, their chuckles filling the small kitchen.

“Where’re you from anyways? You talk so proper sometimes, I’d think you were like the prince or whatever.” Virgil huffed out a laugh and Roman froze, forcing one out as well.

“Uhh..” Roman’s mind stalled before the story he had jumbled together fit together in his head,”M-my family’s attorney practice was very renowned and we worked for many noble families, so I just…picked up their..um..lingo. ”

Virgil hummed, stirring the pot of beans next to the rice, “That’s interesting, I guess.” He shrugged, “I’ve never really been to human civilizations, and we don’t really have a justice system, just laws you shouldn’t break or face consequences, like being banished from your family-” Roman tensed, “-not like judges and what-not.” He turned to look at Roman, “What was your family name?”

Roman jumped, his mind going blank and he narrowed his eyes, looking back at Virgil, “What’s yours?”

Virgil glared back, “Okay, got it. Don’t like your family.”

Roman snorted, “Not that I don’t like them, they just don’t like me.”

“Serious?”

Roman hummed, carefully cutting the carrots into rectangular slivers, “Yes, it’s unfortunate, but I’m sadly used to it. But my family name was…” Roman thought about his mother’s maiden name, “Lopez. My name is Roman Lopez.”

Virgil smiled, wiping his hand on his black apron before putting it out to Roman, who shook it, “Nice to meet you, Roman Lopez, my name is Virgilius Nimr.”

“Nimr. I like it.”

Virgil rolled his eyes, but the smile stayed on his lips, “Thank you so much, I really needed your approval.”

Roman laughed, changing the subject, “Anyways, I finished with the salad, I think?”

Virgil looked at the bowl of vegetables and lettuce Roman had in his hands, “Yeah, that’s pretty good. Just rinse it once more then put it on the table. I’ll make a simple vinaigrette for it.”

“Alr-sure.”

Virgil grinned at Roman, “By the end of your stay, your ‘proper’ ass will be dead.”

“Hopefully not.”

Virgil shrugged, “I can hope.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	7. the bedroom

Days later, Roman walked around his area of the garden, pulling the last of the weeds. The sun beat down on him that day, sweat pouring from his brow. Roman hated it, he hated feeling sticky, and dirty, and just…disgusting, but he was thankfully done with his chores. 

He winced as he twisted to the side too fast and pulled his healing wound, but it didn’t bleed, so he tried ignoring it. Roman walked to the other side of the cottage to wash up his face and hands in the river, but then he saw Diego.

The merperson sat on the shore of the river, his golden tail shining in the sunlight with the dark blacks near the end of it swirling in the water. 

Diego’s hair was wet, like he’d just pulled himself out of the water, and his dark curls lay messy on his head. Scales ran down his sides and arms, a contrast to his copper skin. He was absolutely beautiful, and Roman was absolutely mortified when Diego turned around and saw his staring.

Diego’s face flushed bright red, and he squawked in indignation. Roman spluttered out an apology, “Oh goodness, I am sorry! I was just about to rinse off and I-”

Roman was cut off by Diego throwing his arm up and a wave of water throwing itself onto Roman. Roman spluttered as Diego glared at him, and the merperson hissed, “Rinsed off enough?” Before slipping back into the water and disappearing.

–

Later, Roman laid on the floor in Virgil’s room, Virgil himself sprawled out on his bed. Roman had been complaining over Diego for five minutes and Virgil was starting to get bored. The room was extremely hot, warmth seeping into their skin and sweat pouring out of it. Roman wiped his forehead, making a sound of disgust as the slick sweat on it after.

“And then he poured water all over me! Emile wouldn’t even let me inside until I dried off.”

Virgil snorted, “Yeah, that’s just like Emile.”

Roman groaned, laying his forearm over his face, “I just don’t get him, Virgil. He hates me.”

Virgil rolled over, his head poking over the edge of his bed to look at Roman, “Ugh, you’re boring,” He said with a grin, “Do you want to go help me bug Diego then?”

Roman looked at Roman from under his arm, “I already told you he hates me, I’m not going to make it even worse.”

Virgil rolled his eyes, “No, he doesn’t, you two are just dramatic.”

Raising his eyebrows, Roman sat up, eye to eye with Virgil, and he counted out of his fingers, “He hasn’t even attempted to talk to me except from when Remy literally forced him to, every time he meets my eyes, he glares at me, he ignores anything I try to say to him, and he literally soaked me in water without tried to hear my reasoning or my apology! What else can I do?”

Virgil gnawed on his lip, “Look, I’ve known Dee for years now, he’s a little difficult to figure out when you meet him, but I feel like the two of you could be friends soon. Just, when there’s no one else around, try talking to him. When you’ve tried talking to him before, was there anyone else around?”

Roman thought for a moment, tilting his head to the side, “Possibly, but I don’t see-”

“He probably just felt cornered, he already dislikes humans, so that’s understandable.”

Roman groaned, falling back down on the ground, “Why does he hate humans so much? I never even did anything to him!”

Virgil winced, laying onto his back and staring at the ceiling, “It’s not my story to tell, but I don’t think it’s anything personal towards you.”

Roman rolled onto his stomach, looking up at the bed, “Why don’t you hate humans then?”

Virgil sighed, “Well, I try not to hate most things. I hate the idea of humans and how the majority of them treat us, but I don’t hate, like, an individual without having a reason. Diego’s just been treated not the best by quite a few, so I think he sees all of them like that.”

Roman hummed, a few seconds passing in a comfortable silence before he sat up and asked, “Had you ever met a human before me?”

Virgil winced, sitting up and rubbing the back of his neck, “I mean…yeah, but it’s not a good story.”

“What’d you mean?”

“Well,” Virgil settled himself, sitting cross-legged with his elbows on his knees as he looked at Roman, “I’m a dragon.”

Roman’s eyebrows raised, before falling in confusion, “Well, I know you can turn into one, but how are-”

“Dragons are shapeshifters,” Virgil ran his fingers through his hair awkwardly, “We can shift to full dragon to a human form, but I’ll always have my ears,” He motioned to them, tracing their sharp point, “Eyes,” He pulled on his lower eye with a grin, showing off his bright green eyes, “And marks,” He dragged his pointer fingers down his cheeks, mimicking the pattern the black marks on his cheeks followed, “In both forms. Most people see dragons in our, ya know, dragon form, but the way we’ve survived so long is by going into our human form to escape.”

Roman nodded, still a bit confused, “How does this relate to meeting a human?”

Virgil pursed his lips, “Well, when I was like ten, I was stolen from my family by human hunters who planned on skinning me and selling the parts.”

Roman choked on nothing because just how casually Virgil said the fact, “What?”

He shrugged, his shoulders tense, “I shifted to human after I was captured and managed to escape, but when I had gone to my home, my family had moved on without me, “ Virgil’s voice turned bitter, “They didn’t even try waiting a few days. They just left because they were scared of being taken too.”

Virgil looked harshly at Roman, “The humans stole me but my parents abandoned me. I don’t like humans because they try to kill my people and treat us like trash, but you were kind and you didn’t ever try to hurt any of us. So, I trust you. Diego doesn’t see that.”

Roman nodded silently, and a few seconds passed in silence before Virgil sighed, launching himself backwards into his bed, laying back with his hands behind his head. Roman perched his head on the edge of Virgil’s bed, “Wait, so does that mean you can have wings?”

Virgil shoved at Roman’s face, pushing him off the bed, “Shut up. And no, only in my dragon form, which I don’t really love going into when I don’t have to, it’s a hassle, ya know?’

“I literally have no way of relating to that statement, Virgil.”

The two laughed in the dark-grey room, and Roman stood up afterwards, “Well, I’ll try talking to Diego more tonight, okay?”

“Thanks, I know you won’t regret it. Just don’t be a dick.”

Roman looked appalled, “I am never a d-that word!”

Virgil cocked an eyebrow, “You sure, human boy?”

Virgil cackled at Roman’s expression but then squealed in surprise as his pillow was thrown into his face, knocking him onto the floor, where he continued to laugh even as Roman huffed out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	8. the conversation

After dinner that night, the four Alimagians and Roman relaxed in the living room, Emile cuddled up to Remy’s side on the couch (where Roman slept) as the three teenagers sat around. 

Emile was asleep, his wings puffed out around himself and Remy as Remy ran their hands through their soft feathers. Virgil lay curled up in a little ball on his favorite love seat, dozing as Roman read a book on the floor, leaning back onto Virgil’s feet. Diego just stared at Roman, eyes narrowed but his teeth gnawing on his lip.

Roman sighed, looking up at the merperson who startled as he realized Roman knew he had been staring at him.

“Look,” Roman said quietly as to not disturb the others slumber, “I don’t know if I have personally done something wrong to offend you, but if I have, I am truly sorry. And I’m sorry about the river this afternoon, it was an accident, but,” Roman looked him in the eyes, “I literally have no clue what I could’ve done directly to you to cause this anger and hatred. Please, for the love of anything, can we at least try to put away this…rivalry until I leave, because I won’t be here forever.”

Diego looked at him in silence, an eyebrow quirking, “Why aren’t you planning on staying?”

Roman’s heart started beating faster at the sound of Diego’s voice and the fact that the merperson was actually speaking to him, and he quietly said, “Well, no matter how my family feels about it, I need to return home eventually.”

“Your family?”

Roman sighed, “I’m not comfortable going into detail about it with you, since you’ve obviously shown you hate me throughout this past week.”

The room grew quiet after Roman said that, enough time for Roman to open back up his book of Alimagian folk tales and begin reading it again when Diego spoke again, causing Roman to drop the book, “I don’t hate you.”

The clatter of the book had Emile groaning, digging his face deeper into Remy’s shoulder. Roman winced, “Apologies. But, what do you mean that you don’t hate me?”

“I mean that I don’t hate you,” The scaled boy stared at his feet, his arms crossed across his chest, “You haven’t done anything to me, but I still have…resentment towards humans. It’s nothing to do with you as a person, just your race.”

Roman’s eyebrows shot up, but fell again as he thought deeper. What happened to Diego to cause this sort of…resentment?

“Care to explain further?”

“I…hmm.” Diego hummed, thinking about it, but flinching as Virgil snored loudly.

“Fine.” Diego whispered, looking at his sleeping family, “I’ll tell you, but come with me. I don’t want them to wake up.”

Diego stood up and Roman followed, leaving his book on the floor next to Virgil and following Diego into his room. Diego sat on his bed, cross-legged while Roman awkwardly stood in the middle of the room, arms clasped behind his back. 

The room was extremely clean, with mustard walls. It was small, with his bed in the corner of the room and a desk next to it, but it was cozy, the lantern next to his bed coloring the room a soft gold.

Diego sighed, patting the bed next to him and scooting over so Roman could sit down, which he did.

Diego lay back his arms behind his head, and he sighed, “I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Well, the past week. I know you as a person have nothing to do with the royal family or their views,” Roman winced, “But just seeing a human…just…scares me.”

Roman’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “I scare you?”

“Of course you do. You’re a built human who could break me in half and can run back to your village and accuse all of us of kidnapping and have us literally executed.”

“I’d never-”

“I know, I can tell. But I’m still nervous. I can see that Emile and Virgil like you, and you’re starting to grow on Remy, and that makes me mad. Emile and Remy have never been in a situation where their lives were in danger by a human, Emile having grown up in one of those avian villages in the mountains and Remy in a village full of mages and being able to pass as a human, but Virgil has. And that just…hurt me, to see my closest friend turn on me and defend someone who could kill us all? I lashed out, and I shouldn’t’ve.”

Roman looked at the boy, who stared up at the ceiling, not looking at Roman but his face red.

“It’s…okay. If I was in your situation, I’d be upset too. But,” Roman bit at his lip, ”Why are you telling me all of this?”

Diego sighed, sitting up and looking at Roman, “Because Virgil told me I should try to talk to you and I trust him.”

Roman smiled, thinking of the sleeping boy in the other room, the thought of him making Roman’s cheeks start to involuntarily burn. He shook his head, looking back to Diego with a grin, “You two fight often?”

Diego grinned back, golden eyes shining in the candlelight, “Very, Remy and Emile have to separate us almost every week, but we don’t care. We’re…close, but not too close that I can’t just punch him when I know he’s being an idiot, and for him to do the same.”

Roman nodded, the room falling into a comfortable silence as Roman laid back next to the merperson. They breathed together, the room quiet, punctuated only by Virgil snores from the other room.

“Why do you hate the royal family so much?”

Diego flinched, rolling over to look at Roman, who looked back at him, purposeful malice not in his eyes. Diego sighed, sitting up, “Guess.”

Roman’s brow furrowed with slight annoyance but he held it in, “I don’t know, Diego.”

Diego smiled a little smile, empty of humor and anything normally found in a grin, “They’re murderers. They killed my father.”

Roman choked on his own spit, shooting up, “What?”

Diego sighed, his painful smile fading. He bit his lip, running his hand through his curly hair and breaking the curls, turning the section he touched into a frizzy mess, but he didn’t seem to care,”I never met him, it was before I was born.”

He looked back at Roman, who nodded for him to continue, eyes wide.

Diego sighed again, staring at his legs and fidgeting with his hands, “My mother was a human, my father a merperson. They fell in love and whatever, and my mother got pregnant with me. She told her best friend, who didn’t keep her damn mouth shut,” He hissed out, but then took a breath and continued quieter, “News of a merperson ‘invading’ a human village spread to our guards, who spread it to the capitol and then to King Augustus.” 

Roman flinched at his father’s name, asking quietly, “What did he do?” 

Diego tensed, “He had our town's guards take him and execute him in our village square to make an example of him, to show Alimagians to never try to cross over again.”

The room was quiet and Roman sighed, his heart heavy with guilt even though he was only an infant when it happened, “Goodness, D-”

“My mother then had me, and she celebrated that I looked human,” Diego cut Roman off, his words coming out harsher and quicker, “She tried scaring me to never try shifting, even though I could, because she was too scared of me dying, but she just made me hate myself.

“Then, when I was ten, she died. It was a sickness of sorts she couldn’t get over, and I went to an orphanage because everyone thought I was an evil child. They’d heard rumors of my father, and decided I had to be evil because of him.

“It was lonely, but I met another merperson whose family was traveling through the river next to us. I had to swim miles to see him each day, but it was worth it. But then, his pod had to keep going, and I’ve never seen him again.”

Roman hummed, and Diego continued talking, laying back down, “I didn’t use to have these scales on my face, but they’re just a thing for merpeople. You can have them anywhere, and I have some also going down my sides and arms. When they came in, they were easier to hide, but the ones on my face weren’t.

“I was around thirteen, and every time one popped up on my face, I’d pull it out, terrified that the other children would see them. But then, one day a kid walked into the bathroom as I did it and he saw my scales.”

Diego took a breath, tears popping into his eyes, “He screamed in horror, and ran. I panicked, grabbing all of my things, shoving them into a bag, and running away.”

The room was silent, Diego’s wobbly voice whispering, “I didn’t want to be murdered, and so I swam up the river, past the border and into Alimagan. I lived by myself for a few months, surviving on fish and stealing from villages, until Emile and Remy found me. They thought I was a drowned kid in a river before I woke up, and they took me in, letting me travel with them.

“Eventually, we found Virgil, and they decided we should settle down, and so we four built this cottage together, and we’ve been living here for three years now.”

Diego wiped his eyes, and looked at Roman, his eyes red and his cheeks burning with vulnerability, “That’s why I hate humans. I was raised as one, but I shouldn’t’ve. If the king had never murdered my father, I would’ve been able to learn how to be a merperson, but I lost that chance. They tore it away from me, and the only things I know are what I taught myself and what Patton helped me learn.”

Roman stared at Diego, his eyes burning as well. Diego let out a gasp of surprise as Roman threw himself at him, wrapping his arms around the merperson and holding him tightly. Diego froze for a moment, before wrapping his arms around the human, burying his face in his shoulder as little sobs escaped his mouth.

“I’m sorry, Diego. I’m so sorry for what he did. But I promise you, I promise that I will never hurt you. Even after I leave, I will never tell anyone what happened, and I will never tell anyone your story, I promise.”

Diego nodded into Roman’s shoulder, and they sat there holding each other until Diego passed out. Roman didn’t know what to do afterwards, with his arms full of emotionally and literally tired merperson, and so he shrugged, laying down with Diego in his arms and falling asleep. Remy and Emile were already in his bed anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	9. the confession

“So, I guess the two of you are friends now?”

Virgil’s cocky, sarcastic voice floated into Roman’s head, and he barely blinked his eyes open, the word fuzzy as he woke up. 

He swallowed, brushing his chestnut hair out of his eyes and looking around confused, his arms feeling heavy, seeing Virgil standing in front of his with his hip cocked and a grin on his face. 

Virgil really was pretty, in a sharp kind of way. Beautiful eyes, skin, smile, and a good personality. Roman shook his head as the thoughts took root, his eyes shooting open.

“Good morning, Ro. How’d you and Dee sleep?”

Roman’s brow furrowed until he looked down and took in the weight in his arms. His arms didn’t get heavier during the night, Diego was just lying in them, completely asleep with his face buried in Roman’s shirt, his curly hair an absolute mess.

Roman turned bright red, “We weren’t doing anything!” He exclaimed.

Virgil’s eyebrow raised, “I didn’t say anything happened, just walked in my friend's room to wake him up for breakfast and saw my other friend cuddling him with both of them completely asleep.” 

The longer Virgil spoke, the more strained his smile seemed to be, like he was unhappy or something.

“We were just talking, and then we got tired and I guess we fell asleep, that’s it.” Roman assured, his flat voice contrasting with his flushed face.

Virgil’s eyes lit up, and he sat down on the bed next to the two, “So you did talk! Did it go well?”

Roman groaned, “It went fine, we’re good now.”

Diego groaned, one of his eyes opening a tiny sliver before closing. Then they shot up with the speed of light and Diego shoved Roman off of him, throwing the human to the ground.

“What are you doing here?”

Roman groaned, rubbing the back of his head from where it struck the floor, “Ugh, we were talking and passed out, then Virgil came in here and started bullying us.”

Virgil put his hands up, smirking at his friends, “Guilty as.”

Diego narrowed his eyes, getting up in Virgil’s face, “I swear if you tell anyone-”

“Tell anyone what?” Emile walked into the room that felt like it was getting smaller every second, “Oh, Roman! There you are, Remy and I were worried where you went. Sorry about taking the couch, where did you end up sleeping?”

Roman froze, glancing at Diego who glared at him, saying with his eyes that he would kill Roman if he told Emile that he slept on Diego’s bed with him in his arms.

“I just…slept on the floor. Just passed out there!” Roman huffed out a fake laugh, which Diego echoed, “Then I woke up early and talked to Diego, right, Dee?”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re good now.”

“Oh, I’m so proud of you two for talking it out! Wait until I tell Remy, they’ll be sad they missed it!”

Diego called out, “Wait!” as Emile raced out the door to go tell his partner, and then groaned into his hands as Virgil cackled.

Roman swat at Virgil’s am, sighing, “Stop it, let’s just go to breakfast and pretend this never happened.”

Diego nodded, but Virgil smirked, “Oh, I’m not gonna forget this, but I won’t mention it to Remy or Emile if you don’t want me to.”

Diego groaned, “Please.” 

He touched his arms, “I think I’ll take a quick swim after breakfast, my scales feel dry.” 

He stood up, groaning as he stretched his back, his shirt pulling up to reveal a sliver of deeply tanning skin on his side. Roman and Virgil turned beat-red and stood up together, Diego cocking an eyebrow at the two, “What?”

Roman croaked but Virgil shook his head, “Nothing, Dee.” before he grabbed Roman’s arm and tugged him out of the room and into the kitchen, Diego following.

Emile sat at the table, his wings twitching as he told Remy where he found all of the boys as Remy smiled contently at their husband. The floor creaked as the three teenagers walked in, and the two turned to look at them. Remy looked at Roman, who felt like their eyes were burning into their soul.

“Come on, sit down.”

“Remy and I helped make pancakes this morning, it’s all we can do well.”

Diego snorted, nodding as he sat down and pulled a plate of pancakes to himself, decorating the top with blueberries and sugar. He took a small bite before he began consuming an incredible amount of pancakes in each bite. 

Roman stared in wonder but felt Remy’s eyes narrow in his direction, so he tore himself from the sight and continued to sit down as well and silently eat his pancakes with syrup.

Soon enough, breakfast had ended, and Diego excused himself to go have a swim as Virgil left to practice some magic or something. Roman stood to go to the garden, but Remy’s voice pulled him back down, “Emile, if you excuse us, I need to go talk to Roman about something.”

Emile looked a bit shocked and confused, but he smiled, kissing Remy’s temple and saying, “Oh, alright, dearest.”

Remy held a hand out to Roman and he took it, feeling a shock run through him before standing up and following Remy. They ended up outside near the woods, on the other side of the cottage from the river.

Remy pulled a sword out from nowhere and pointed it towards Roman, who jumped in shock.

“W-what’s happen-”

“I heard you can sword fight, would you like to practice with me?”

Remy’s words were asked, but there was no question behind them. Roman swallowed, “Alright, sure, yes.”

Rey smirked, pulling another sword from the air and pointing it towards Roman, “En garde, then.”

Remy struck first, sharply swinging the sword in Roman’s direction. Roman automatically parried, stepping back and walking slowly and Remy began advancing again. As Remy would swing, Roman would dodge, doing everything in his power to not swing towards the Alimagian.

Eventually, a swing came too close and as Roman parried it, it came very close to Remy’s body. They grinned, swinging again and forcing Roman to go on the offensive. Roman didn’t want to fight Remy, but knew that this wasn’t a battle. 

He calmed himself down, reminding himself that this was just a simple game, before going on the offensive, swinging calculated swipes towards Remy, forcing the mage to step back and parry. Roman disarmed them, causing them to stumble backward. 

Soon, Roman’s sword was at their neck and Remy was on the ground, their grin unmoving. Roman stepped back, his sword tip pointed at the ground, and Remy sat up, their sword abandoned on the ground as they clapped, “Good job, Roman. I’m considered good with a sword, so I’m impressed you managed to disarm me.”

Roman stalled, rubbing the back of his throat with his free hand, “It’s nothing, just something I picked up.”

“Still impressive, where did you learn, mm?”

“I…there was a studio near my home where we were taught.”

“Hmm, strange. Your style was very much like the one taught to knights, do you know?”

Roman’s blood ran cold, and he stammered, “Well, my teacher was a retired knight.”

He wasn’t lying, there was in fact a sword-fighting studio somewhere in the village bordering the castle, just Roman had never gone to it. His teacher was, however, an actual knight.

Remy looked at his face and hummed, “I’d believe it. Where was it again you lived?”

“I…I lived in the town where the castle lay.”

“I’ve been to Sanders village before, never found a sword-fighting studio.”

Roman’s brow furrowed, he knew he was right, “Are you sure, because there’s been one at least for the past five or so years.”

Remy’s grin fell slightly, “Hmm, well that was a test. I wanted to see whether or not you were being truthful.”

Roman’s eyes grew wide, “I-truthful-”

“See, some of your story doesn’t make much sense. How were you disarmed so easily if you are so good a sword fighter? Why did you let strangers you’d never met before come with you on your travels? And I’ve never heard of an attorney named Lopez from Sanders village.”

“I-I-”

“Roman,” Remy’s face grew stern, “Are you going to tell me the whole truth or should I tell the others of your fibs? I see how you look at Virgil and Diego, and I know knowing you’ve been lying would hurt them.”

Roman’s blood ran cold, how did they…Roman sighed, his hands covering his face before he looked back at Remy, his lip slightly quivering but he willed his voice to not, “I’ll tell you the truth, but please, don’t tell the others.”

Remy hummed, “I’ll tell them if I find it vital to them, but if not, I won’t, I promise you.”

Roman sighed, “I…My true name is Roman Sanders, not Lopez, and I am the crown prince of the Sanders kingdom.”

Remy’s eyes grew wide and his eyebrows furrowed in disbelief and shock, “What?”

“I have a younger brother who’s always hated me and I was sent on a scouting mission that was originally for my brother, but my father, King Augustus, sent me instead. My brother had arranged my knights, but I discovered that they weren’t to be trusted when they attacked me. 

“They meant to kill me, but I escaped, and I heard them leave me for dead as they rode away. Virgil found me and took me here, but I promise, I never meant anything to happen. I’ve never done anything that could put you in danger or harm, I promise you.” Roman pleaded, and Remy continued looking at him in slight understanding, nodding.

“Alright, I can tell you’re telling the truth.” Roman let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, “I won’t tell the others, I just needed to know.” They placed their hand on Roman’s knee, “If you ever need to tell me anything, I am here for you. Emile, Diego, and Virgil will not hear a word of this. I trust that you aren’t lying, but don’t let that trust be in vain, Roman.”

Roman nodded, but tears pricked his eyes at the honest words. He never had had anyone speak to him in such a way, never had anyone who he could be honest with. Remy was concerned, moving closer to the boy, who had placed his face into his hands, “Roman?”

“I-I’m okay, I’m sorry, I just-just-”

Remy wrapped their arms around the teenage prince, who froze in them before melting into the comfort of them, digging his face into their shoulder. 

After a few seconds, Remy pulled back, holding Roman’s face in one hand, “I trust you, Roman, now trust me as I say we will not hurt you or hate you. Virgil and Diego will not even after you eventually tell them your secret, I can already tell you’re too important to them,“ Remy grinned at Roman’s soft smile, wrapping him back in their arms.

The silence was comfortable, broken only by quiet sounds from the woods and Diego’s splashing from the river. Roman pulled away, panicking slightly, “Wait, how loud was I? Could anyone hear m-”

“No,” Remy smirked, “I placed a spell over us as I touched your hand in the cottage. No one has heard us since.”

Roman let out a nervous breath, “Oh, thank the Five. I don’t want to tell them yet, I know that both Virgil and Diego have…qualms with human-kind, and so knowing my true identity would cause me to lose both of them.”

Remy raised an eyebrow, “Well, at least we have a reason for your dramatic language now.”

Roman flushed red as Remy continued, “But I don’t think they’ll hate you. They’ll be mad, sure, but anger can fade, a real connection can’t.”

“What do you mean ‘real conn-’”

Remy interrupted the flustered teenager, “Do you think you would’ve ever told me if I hadn’t pressured you to?”

Roman let out a breath, “I don’t know,” He ran his fingers through his once tidy hair, “I don’t think so, because even though I’m a prince and whatever and should be strong, I hate losing people. I’ve already lost my mother to fire and close friends to time, I didn’t want to lose you four too. I planned on leaving eventually once I made a plan to expose my brother and have him banished, and then when I was king, to visit when I could and maybe then reveal my identity, but now that’s gone.”

Remy hummed, “I don’t think it would’ve worked. You’ve already captured Emile’s heart, and my husband’s one of the smartest people I know, So i believe he’d eventually figure everything out. But, if you’d like, I could tell him for you-”

“No, please don’t, Remy. I-I’m-” Roman looked aside, ashamed, “I’m too much of a coward.”

Remy placed their hand on his shoulder, “You’re not a coward to be afraid, you’re just a person.”

Roman swallowed, “Sure, but please.”

“I won’t tell him, Roman, but I want him to eventually be told by you instead of someone else, alright?”

“I-” Roman’s throat felt like sandpaper, “I will.”

“Okay, I’m proud of you, Roman, for telling me the truth.”

Roman blood froze at their words, haven’t having heard them in any circumstance since his mother passed. His nose burned as tears pricked his eyes, but he swallowed, standing up with Remy, “Thank you, Remy, for not hating me.”

“I can’t hate you, Ro,” Remy smiled, “As much as you’ve wormed our way into my family’s hearts, you’ve wormed your way into mine too.”

Remy hugged him, before pulling back with a grin, “Now go bug one of the others, you’re boring.”

Roman laughed and picked the sword up from the ground, offering it back to Remy. Remy thought for a moment, before shaking their head, snapping their fingers and a sheath for the sword popping into the air, “No, you can keep it. I trust you’ll be smart with it?”

Roman smiled, grateful, “I will.” Remy handed him the sheath, and he slid the sword into it. He turned, waving at Remy as he walked away, who had sat back down in thought. Roman felt the air snap around him as he passed his garden, like the quiet spell Remy had placed had been pulled taught before breaking.

Roman felt like his heart had lightened after speaking to Remy, but he wasn’t planning on telling the others anytime soon. He’d just become actual friends with Diego and he was good with Virgil, why would he throw that away on a chance they’d trust him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	10. the tree

“Oomph!”

Roman breathed out as he felt a large weight fall onto him from above. He slammed the back of his head into the tree he sat in front of when he saw Virgil looking at him from his lap.

“Hey. I was bored, what’re you doing?”

Roman took a moment to catch his breath before glaring at the dragon and shoving him off of him. Virgil casually rolled off of the human and laid down next to him.

“Well, Virgil, I was reading more on the history of Alimagian, if you actually cared.”

“Sounds boring,” Virgil lay on his back, breathing out a purple plump of magic as he listened.

Roman huffed, “You asked. Anyway, it’s different than my kingdom’s history, so I’m at least learning something.”

“Again, boring.”

Roman rolled his eyes, moving back to reading his book. He only got a paragraph into the chapter before Diego strolled up from the river, wringing out his hair with both hands before plopping down next to the two and laying his head down on Virgil’s lap and perched his legs on Roman. 

Roman stiffened, still not used to the casual intimacy all of Alimagians gave often, but he willed himself to relax.

It had been a few days since his confession with Remy, and Roman was startled just how much affection the mage gave him now. Emile was always huggy, but tried avoiding Roman to not bother the human, but now? 

Remy must’ve spoken to him about getting to know Roman or something because now Roman was given just as much affection as the two teenagers they’ve known for years, and Roman did not understand.

Virgil and Diego were strange, including him in their weird discussions and asking for his opinion like they actually cared for what he had to say, and it made Roman feel…something he hadn’t felt in a long time. 

It scared him, just how much he wanted to protect these strange people he didn’t know just a month before, but he didn’t hate it.

“Ugh, your hair is still wet, Dee.”

Diego rolled his eyes, getting comfortable where he lay, “Oh, get over it, dragon-boy.”

Virgil narrowed his eyes and Roman spoke up, exasperated, “Okay, you two are not going to start a fight. And if you are, take it somewhere else, for I am trying to read for Thomas’ sake!”

Diego rolled his eyes again before replying, “Fine.”

“Thank you. And please get your dirty little feet off of my pants please, I tried looking nice today.”

“You wear the same thing every day, red tunic and black pants.”

“No, I do not! I have multiple pairs of clothing from Emile, thank you very much. This shirt is clearly maroon, not like the red one, and these pants are a more dark grey.”

Diego laughed, “Sure, human-scum,” But removed only one of his feet.

Roman huffed again, ignoring him and opening his book again before Virgil asked, “Who’s Thomas?”

Roman took a moment to calm himself down from being interrupted again before slowly asking “What?”

“Thomas. You mentioned that you wanted to read for ‘Thomas’ sake’,” Virgil emphasized with air quotes, “So, who’s Thomas?”

Roman pursed his lips in confusion, “You don’t know who Thomas Sanders is?”

Virgil shrugged from where he laid and Diego responded, “Isn’t Sanders the name of the human kingdom? But no, haven’t heard of him.”

Roman’s eyebrows raised and he dog-eared the page he was on and placed down his book next to him. Emile and Remy didn’t care how he marked the books, but bending the pages annoyed Diego, so Roman made sure to do it.

Diego narrowed his eyes at Roman but ignored it, wanting to hear the human’s response.

“Well,” Roman adjusted where he sat, “You’re right of the kingdom name, but the Sanders Kingdom was actually named after Thomas. He founded our kingdom and is m-the royal family’s direct ancestor, give or take a few hundred years or so.”

Virgil’s eyes widened, “Really?”

Roman nodded, “Every human has to learn about him growing up and we tell stories of his adventures and how he founded the kingdom as bedtime stories.”

Diego smirked, “Then tell us them.”

“What?”

“Tell us the magical escapades of this Tommy Sanders, knowing you, it’ll just bore us to sleep and I’m tired anyway.” He got comfortable in Virgil’s lap and looked at Roman, his golden eyes shining. 

Virgil grinned, “Yeah, tell us, teacher-man.”

The two Alimagians looked up toward Roman and he swallowed, clearing his throat, “Um, sure.”

“Thomas Sanders was just a normal human being back when Alimagians ruled the country. The Alimagian government taxed them heavily and treated them horribly, and so Thomas decided to rebel. He had some friends who eloped him, and he started a rebellion against the Alimagians who had imprisoned and hurt his people.

“He joined forces with five different Alimagians, and the six were very close. The five were called Thomas’ sides, and they all did something different for the kingdom. They rebelled against their own people to save Thomas’, helping Thomas fight. 

“With the armies Thomas and the sides had amassed, they were able to turn the war and win it, and then the Sanders kingdom was born. The five worked as advisors and knights for Thomas until they died, and they all lived happily ever after.”

Diego snorted, “That is such propaganda, ‘special human and friends defeat evil Alimagians?’ Give me a break.”

Roman huffed, “Well actually, the retelling is found to be very substantial and there is a lot of proof that all six were real people.”

Virgil asked, “What were their names then?”

“Well, we don’t know. Their names were lost because of what King Foley did. But we know that they went by Logic, Anxiety, Morality, Creativity, and Deceit.”

Virgil hummed, “Interesting names. Poor Deceit, though, that’s an unfortunate thing to be remembered by.”

Roman opened his mouth to respond but Diego cut him off, “Wait, who’s King Foley?”

Roman stilled, looking at the merperson with ashamed eyes before coughing, “Well, King Foley was the king before the last two, from around a hundred years ago. And from what I’ve found, he was the one who started all of the segregation between the humans and Alimagians.”

Roman sighed, laying back on the ground as Diego laid his feet back on him, “He’s the one, after hundreds of years of peace, who wanted to defeat the Alimagains once and for all. So, he started attacking their villages and forced them behind the forest line, because fighting was more difficult there. 

“He erased a lot of our history in the process, but is renowned as some sort of hero, and the next two kings followed in his footsteps, slaughtering Alimagians and spreading lies about them to spread fear and hate so the people agreed with him.”

Roman bit as his lip before he continued, “He’s seen as this heroic man, but now that I actually know Alimagains and know what he said about them was just lies, I’m ashamed to once believing his sayings.”

“Well, I don’t know if your entire personality is a facade,“ Roman stiffened and Diego continued, not noticing, “But I think that you know better now and your past doesn’t really define you if you’ve made efforts to apologize for your old behavior.”

“Yeah, Ro. I know you, you’re a huge dork with weird speaking patterns but you’re our friend, don’t get mad at yourself for things you had no way of not doing.”

Roman hummed nodding, “Well, thank you. I really appreciate your words, but I really want to do more to be better.”

He thought to himself, “Maybe if I found the temple…”

“Temple?”

Roman looked at Virgil who’s eyebrow was raised, “What’s this about a temple?”

Roman grinned, “Well, there’s a temple in honor of Thomas Sanders somewhere inside this forest, I believe. No one has ever successfully found it, and since Foley banned travel to the forest, most people don’t try to look for it, but its legend has been around since Thomas’s time, I believe. It’s said to be infused with the magic of Thomas’s sides and so maybe if I can find it and harness the power, we can do something.!”

Diego raised his eyebrows, “Well, I’ve never heard of anything like that before, but I’ve passed a lot of ruins with Em and Rem while traveling, so maybe I’ve found it.”

Roman laughed, “Maybe, but it’s been hidden for so many years, probably not.”

“Fair point,” Diego shrugged, “But maybe we can go looking for it in the future. We have nothing else to do, I mean we’re all here talking under a tree when we could be doing anything else.”

Virgil yawned, “Hey, I’m enjoying doing nothing by a tree, beats having Remy lecture me on safety while I try and fail to do a new spell.”

“Random question,” Roman asked sheepishly as he turned over to look at Virgil, “But how can you do magic if you’re a dragon? I’ve been wondering since I got here.”

Diego laughed but Virgil smiled, answering tiredly, “Well, dragons are kind of like off-shoots of shapeshifting mages, but we can only turn into two forms. I can do whatever magic Remy can, but I’m also…like…a dragon, if that makes sense?”

Virgil looked shy as he finished talking, his eyes hiding behind his hair so that all Roman could see where the two black marks trailing down his cheeks. Roman hummed, “Well, I was guessing it was weird dragon stuff I didn’t understand, so I’m glad to know that I was exactly right.”

Virgil snorted, relaxing tenfold into the grass at his back as Diego grinned, turning onto his side to get comfortable. Roman placed his hands behind his head and stared up at the sky, a satisfied smile still on his face for making Virgil laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (this is one of my absolute favorite chapters of this fic, and you'll see why later :D )
> 
> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	11. the chickens

“Roman?”

Emile called out from his side of the garden, sitting in his haunches, his wings spread slightly with the tips of his feathers touching the ground. He wiped his sweaty brow with a hand, smearing soil onto himself, but either he didn’t care about the dirt, or he didn’t notice it. **  
**

Roman stopped humming where he knelt, pulling weeds and checking every vegetable to make sure they were safe and healthy. He looked over to Emile, who had a smile on his face.

“Yes? What is it?”

“Well,” Emile stood up, a groan pouring from their lips as he stretched his back, “I noticed you haven’t met any of the chickens yet, and you have been here a few weeks now, aren’t you curious?”

Roman pursed his lips, “Well, not really, sir. I mean, I’ve seen them before, them being chickens, I mean.”

“Sure you’ve seen chickens before, but what about magic chickens?”

Roman’s eyes grew wide, “Magic chickens? What’s different about them?”

Emile held his gaze for a moment before snorting, breaking character, “I’m just fooling with you, they’re just normal, plain-old chickens, but Diego really does care for them, and since the two of you are getting so close,“ Emile looked at Roman with a glance that seemed to elevate the words he spoke and mad Roman’s cheeks flush, “I thought you might want to get to know them too.”

“I..um..well…okay, if you’d like me to.”

“Great!” Emile clasped his hands together before gingerly walking over to Roman and clasping his shoulder with his hand, “I’m glad we get to have a bonding experience too then.”

“Bonding experience?”

“Hmm?” Emile looked over to Roman as they walked to the coop on the other side of the cottage, “Oh, well, it’s like how you spent time with all of the others just one on one?”

Roman blushed but nodded and Emile continued, “Well, the two of us haven’t been able to do that and since you and Remy seem to be closer now and Remy cares for you more now, I thought that this might be a good way for us two to bond.”

“Remy cares about me?”

“Well, of course! They have to after you told them your secret.”

Roman paused in his steps, looking at Emile in horror, “They told you?”

Emile barely spared Roman a glance as they walked, but his smile stayed put, “No, they wouldn’t hurt you like that. I could tell that you were keeping something in but when you walked back home, you seemed like a weight was lifted off of your shoulders. I didn’t ask Remy much, but they told me you two had a talk, and that’s all I needed to know.”

Roman let out a breath in relief, but then looked back at Emile, confused, “But…you want me to tell you, don’t you?”

“Not if you don’t want to, Roman. I won’t pressure you, I trust that whatever you’re hiding is for a reason, but I don’t believe it to be a bad one.”

Roman let slip a small smile, and Emile saw it and smiled as well. The two approached the chicken coop with a circle about ten feet in diameter made of wood and wire surrounding it, and inside of it were four chickens, clucking happily around.

Roman’s heart melted as the black one turned to look at him and cocked its head to the side as if the human was confusing it.

“You can go on in, Roman, there’s a gate to your right.”

And so there was, and Roman quietly walked inside, the four chickens immediately surrounding him.

“Hi,” Roman said very quietly as he sat down and a rusty-red hen strutted up to him. Its golden eyes shined at him like it was judging him and Roman swallowed, but the bird seemed to like him and plopped itself down into Roman’s lap.

Roman stared at it in awe, he’d never been this close to a chicken before. Well, a living one, that is. He’d spent much time in the castle’s kitchens growing up while avoiding Remus and so he learned a thing or two about chickens and their meat, but he never imagined we’d interact with a living one.

Meanwhile, Diego stood grumpily next to his adoptive father, who smiled at the scene.

“If he hurts Lucy, I swear…”

Emile looked at him, a knowing grin on his face, and he said quietly under his breath, “You’ll do what, Goldie? I see how you look at this boy and if you were really annoyed at him, he wouldn’t still be in there.”

Diego’s face grew red and he opened his mouth to retaliate, but bit back his words and instead stomped into the chicken’s pen, sitting down next to Roman, who barely seemed to notice as he lovingly pet the chicken.

“Her name’s Lucy.”

Roman flinched at the boy’s voice, but a grin overcame his shock, “You named your chickens?”

Diego turned beet-red “O-of course I named them! They’re pets!”

“You have pet chickens.”

“You already know this, why are you now commenting on it?”

Roman snorted, “No, I’m sorry, I just never really processed the fact that you, the dramatic, tough, snarky, merperson I know actually has chickens as pets.”

Diego tried to look angry but just ended up pouting. Roman let out a bark of laughter, the chicken in his lap seeming to glare up at the boy as she was disrupted.

“Sorry, little lady, I’ll stop moving.”

“Oh, so you caring about the chickens is fine then!”

“I never said it was bad! Just a bit strange, but strange is good sometimes,” Roman looked at Diego straight in the boy’s eyes, letting a soft smile fall onto his lips. 

Diego blushed deeply, stammering a bit before he ducked his head, allowing the black chicken from earlier to crawl onto his lap and settle itself.

“What’s his name?”

Diego was quiet for a moment, before saying, “It’s a her, they lay eggs, idiot.”

Roman rolled his eyes, but Diego continued, “And it’s Zoila, after my mother.”

The air was quiet for a moment before Roman responded, “Well, she sure is beautiful, I suppose that’s why you named her for your mother?”

Diego hummed but was unable to hide the same smile on his face from underneath his curls, and Roman smiled too.

Emile watched the two boys unknowing flirt and banter, and smiled to himself as he slowly walked away. He wondered when his three teenagers would finally confess to one another, and hopefully, it was sooner rather than later, because Remy was relentless about winning bets and Emile wanted to win for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	12. the couch

With a quiet but sharp curse and a jolt to the couch Roman used as a bed, Roman startled awake, Virgil’s glowing purple eyes looking at him. Roman yelped, rolling ungracefully off of the couch. 

The boy took a few steps back as he startled. His expression told Roman that he was considering running away, so Roman was quick to stand up.

“V? What’s going on?”

“I-well…” Virgil sighed, throwing himself down onto the couch, Roman sitting down next to him, confused, “I was just going to get water.”

Roman cocked his head to the side, “Then why were you just looking at me?”

“Shut up!” Virgil flushed red, “I was just seeing if you were awake or not, and clearly you’re up! I’ll just go get my water and leave you alone, okay?” Virgil stood up to walk away, but the blanket covering his shoulders fell a bit and Roman saw how the dragon’s shoulder hung low with tiredness and fear.

Roman’s heart pounded, and he reached out and grabbed Virgil’s hand to stop him from leaving, “Wait.”

Virgil flinched but turned around, looking at Roman with wide, shocked eyes, and Roman stood, leading the dragon back to sit next to Roman, “I don’t know what’s going on, but I know something happened with you. You seem…upset is the closest word I can think of. Care to talk about it?”

Vigil’s mouth opened and closed a few times, “I…”

Roman realized that he still held Virgil’s hand in his own and he froze, but he forced himself to relax, turning so he could face Virgil with his whole body, sitting with his lips crossed as he held both of Virgil’s hands in his own.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s completely fine, too. But just know that I am here for you, Virgil, and you can tell me anything.”

“I…”

Virgil leaned his head forward, ducking it down and letting his fringe cover his almost copper skin. 

“Hey,” Roman leaned forward and moved the fringe out of the way and laid a hand on the side of his face, looking into Virgil’s round eyes, “I’m here.”

Virgil let out a breath and nodded slowly, leaning into Roman’s hand as he murmured, “I had a nightmare, that…that my family came back to take me with them.”

Roman hummed, slightly confused but not interrupting. Virgil continued, “I don’t know why I’m still so mad at them, it’s been years and they’re my family, but they left…they left me for dead without even trying to find me. My mother, father, they didn’t care. And I used to stay up every night in our old cave waiting for them to come home, to find me and be so happy that I was okay. But they didn’t. They never came and I had to give up and live by myself.”

Virgil’s voice broke, turning it from the harsh, quiet tone his words were spat in into sobs, “I’m so scared that they’ll find me…that they’ll find me and force me to come back with them. I like where I live-how I live now, and even though I know they don’t care about me, I’m scared they’ll come back, and that they’ll take everything away.”

Virgil’s hands moved to his face, his quiet sobs muffled in them, and Roman wrapped his arms around the thin, shaking dragon, letting the boy cry into his tunic. Virgil’s lithe hands clutched his shirt like a lifeline, holding onto it like Roman was the only thing keeping him safe.

“I promise you,” Roman murmured into Virgil’s ear, “That I will protect you. I won’t let them take you, or hurt you, or do anything to upset you in any way, Virgil.”

Roman pulled back and Virgil looked into his eyes, his own eyes still glowing in the darkness, “Virgil, you’re…so…so important to me…and I can’t let you go. I swear on my life…I will never let you go.”

The air was quiet for a moment and Roman’s cheeks burned red, before the tears welling in Virgil’s eyes spilled over and he fell back into Roman’s arms, one of Roman’s hands snaking around his back and the other cupping the back of his head and holding it like it was the most precious thing in the world, which it might be to Roman.

Roman could see the moonlight streaming into the room, and he wondered just how late it was. It couldn’t have been more than a few hours Roman was asleep, because his head still felt full of fog and drowning in tiredness. Roman stifled a yawn into Virgil’s head, then the boy let out a slight laugh at the sound, yawning himself. 

The two pulled back, tear streaks still staining Virgil’s cheeks on top of his black marks and a shaky smile on his lips and tears pricking at Roman’s eyes as he returned the smile. The two sat there, the moonlight illuminating the room for a few moments before Virgil turned, making to stand, “I guess I should get back to my room, huh?”

Roman, feeling courageous, grabbed his hand again, and Virgil turned, a small smile still there.

“You…you don’t have to leave, V.” His cheeks still burned red as his courage started to dwindle.

Virgil smirked, thinning for a moment before shrugging, the smile on his lips widening the only evidence that he didn’t really have to think it over, “Okay, Ro.”

Virgil laid down on the couch, and Roman next to him. Virgil clutched Roman’s chest, burrowing his head into Roman’s chest. Roman froze, but quickly melted under Virgil and wrapped his arms around the thinner boy. 

Virgil’s legs hung over the edge of the sofa and he was essentially laying on top of Roman since the couch was small, but it was perfect to Roman. He pulled up Virgil’s blanket, which had fallen to the floor, and his own quilt, and pulled them over the two of them, the two sighing in their cocoon of warmth.

“Goodnight, Virgil,” He whispered into Virgil’s curly hair, and the boy looked up, his cheeks the same color as Roman’s as he whispered the same before snuggling back down into Roman.

Roman slowly kissed the boy’s hair, before closing his eyes and allowing sleep to overtake him once more.

–

Hours later, Diego blinked awake, yawning. He sat up, dragging his hands down his face, his fingernail catching on one of his scales and he let out a quiet curse as the quick sharp pain. He rolled his eyes at himself before rolling out of bed and dragging himself out of his room and into Virgil’s, already bored and the sun barely up yet.

But in Virgil’s bed, Diego found nothing. His eyebrows raised slightly, but his heart pounded. Virgil used to be known for going on walks extremely early in the morning when they first started living there, but it had been years since then and Diego thought he had gotten over it. It was hard for Diego not to panic, Virgil was his best friend, and Diego got worried for him.

But, he forced himself to calm down and he walked out the room, closing the door quietly. His parents’ room was right down the hall, and Diego rather do anything then explain why he was sneaking out of Virgil’s room early in the morning.

His parents always had a sneaking suspicion the two teenagers liked each other, and while Diego knew he liked Virgil and believed Virgil liked him as well, nothing had ever come out of it. 

Virgil was just too nervous to actually try anything, and Diego didn’t want to try until he was 100% sure that Virgil wouldn’t push him away and that Diego wouldn’t ruin their friendship forever. Diego was happy to wait until Virgil kissed him, and then Roman entered the picture.

Diego hated Roman when he saw him. He had spent literal years avoiding humans and doing everything in his power to never interact with another again after the years of hurt, but then Virgil, the person he trusted closest with his life, just went and brought one to their home? 

Sure, it was wounded and couldn’t do anything, but when he was healed, there was no telling what he could do to them.

Now, Diego does feel guilty for blaming a simple son of a lawyer for the entire kingdom’s wrongdoings, but not entirely. Diego is glad that the two are friends, and Diego is slowly but surely allowing himself to trust the boy more and more with every passing day.

Roman was sweet and kind, treating even his chickens with respect, but he was also awkward and dramatic, and Diego liked that. Everyone had their flaws, and Diego liked how Roman didn’t try too hard to hide his, they were just a part of who he was. 

But, the fact that Roman was extremely handsome, with his auburn hair and amber eyes, with a charming face and honest grin? Diego was smitten and he didn’t know what to do.

Diego knew it wasn’t bad to be with multiple people, heck, he had friends while he was traveling who were, and Diego had always known himself to crush on multiple people. 

Diego wondered just how Patton was doing these days, if he was safe with his pod and if he ever thought about him too, and he thought about Logan and his eyebrow raises and his smirks and how he made Diego’s heart start beating faster when he thought about seeing him again.

But, that was the norm for Alimagians, to love multiple people and for it to be seen as natural. He knew humans didn’t have the same views. Many thought it was perverse or wrong to have multiple partners, as if love wasn’t overflowing from a being and it had to be rationed instead of shared. 

Diego hadn’t ever heard anything from Roman that would make him think that the boy would hate Diego for wanting both him and Virgil, but he was scared. He didn’t want to take a chance to be happy with the two closest friends he still has and have it be for nothing and lose both of them.

So for now, he was happy being their friend. He wished in his heart for it to be more, but his fear still engulfed him. Diego still found himself afraid of humans, but not because they’d try to kill him, but because they could break his heart.

Diego walked into the living room, smiling at the sight of Roman but his eyes widening at the sight of Virgil curled on top of him. Diego felt his face grow red, but still, a smile grew on his face as well. He knew the two liked each other! But, if they liked each other, what if they didn’t need Diego anymore? What if Diego is just going to become the third wheel? Nothing needs a third wheel.

Diego stepped on a creaky floorboard and cursed under his breath, his head swiveling to look at the two on the couch. Virgil mumbled in his sleep, burrowing deeper into Roman’s chest, but Roman blinked awake, looking at Diego.

Diego froze, looking back at Roman with a guilty smile, and Roman gave him one back, but his was less tired and more warm. He looked down and saw Virgil on his chest, but he didn’t do anything about it, just maneuvering his hand to brush back the dragon’s curls.

He mumbled to himself with a small smile, “Second time in one night, hmm?”

Roman looked back up at Diego and cocked an eyebrow, quietly asking, “What are you doing here? You usually wake up later, do you not?”

“Well…I guess today is just special then, scum,” Diego spat with a grin. When the two first met, Diego meant his words, but now they were just teasing, poking fun at Roman. 

The human pouted on purpose, grinning. He raised his arm, “Well, do you want to join then?”

Diego grin froze and his veins felt like the blood inside of them had turned into an icy slurry, but his face felt even hotter than when he had accidentally bowed in front of a fire when he was four.

“I…what?”

Roman seemed to catch up on what he was asking and his face turned beet-red as well, “Oh, oh, sorry! I was just thinking..well…since we’ve all laid together, I mean, we’ve all laid down together before, that you joining us here wouldn’t be that big of a matter then?”

Diego’s mouth felt full of cotton as he took in Roman’s words. The human’s head bowed, “I’m sorry if the question was rude, I should’ve thought before I spok-”

“It wasn’t rude.”

“Huh?” Roman quit his rambling to look back and Diego who had begun to slowly walk closer.

“It wasn’t rude actually, Roman. You just…took me off guard.”

“Oh. Alright then. So then…um…what’s your answer?”

Diego sat down on the armrest of the couch on the other side of Roman’s head, “Well, Roman, there doesn’t seem to be much space, does there? Can the couch really handle another person laying on it?”

“Sure it can.”

Diego rolled his eyes, “I’m not quite su-re!”

In the middle of his last word, Virgil had sat up on Roman and grabbed Diego’s arm, tugging the merperson down with him.

“Shut up, Dee. We have enough space for your bony ass to fit.”

Diego was sure his face was beat-red as he sputtered in indignation as his chest was pressed up against his two friends’,”I-I am not bony, you are!”

Virgil rolled his eyes, but Roman looked over the two from the bottom of the pile, and he grinned, “I think Dee is right, V. You are clearly the winner of the bony game, at least Diego has some meat on his bones.”

Both of the boys turned red, and they grumbled in tandem as they laid back down, getting themselves comfortable against the mattress that was Roman.

Diego allowed his tired eyes to close again. He cursed at himself in his head how he planned on actually being productive that day and promising himself not to fall asleep, but his mind betrayed him, and he soon fell asleep to the beat of his two best friends’ heartbeats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	13. the argument

"Okay, everybody, I have something to tell you!”

Emile stood up at the table in the middle of dinner, an excited grin on his face. It was late for dinner, but Remy had been gone all day scouting the border and Emile had been shopping at the closest market for the dinner’s ingredients, so Virgil wasn’t able to cook until late. 

The four others paused their eating, Remy quickly swallowing before asking with a soft smile as they perched their face on their fist, “What is it, my love?”

“Well, I’ve been planning this for awhile now, but I just got the letter confirming it. I wanted to keep it a surprise until now.”

Diego raised an eyebrow, looking up at him slightly confused, “What?”

“The annual festival of spring in my village is on for this year after not being able to be for a few years now due to…tensions, but we can all go!”

Remy choked on their drink, looking at their husband in shock, “Love, what?”

“It’s almost Logan’s birthday too, so wouldn’t it be fun for the boys to come with us so Roman can meet him?”

“Emile, you can’t actually be serious.”

Emile’s face fell, mouth twisted into an annoyed pinched look, “I am in fact very serious, Emerson. What gives the impression I’m not?”

Remy cringed at their name, but stood, grabbing his hand, “My dear, you know how bad the tensions are right now. It really isn’t smart for your village to be creating any uproars or anything that could notify the human armies.”

Roman’s head shot up as he looked at Remy, “Human armies?”

Virgil and Diego looked at each other in confusion before all three teenagers stared at the adults, who looked at each other annoyed.

Emile waved it off, “Nothing, Roman, it’s just some rumors-”

“Some rumors? Emile, I’ve seen them myself! The human king is sending out more and more soldiers into the woods by the day and we don’t know why yet.”

Emile shot them a bitter look, taking his hand out of his partner’s, “Thanks for taking my side, dear.”

“I’m not going to lie to them, Emile!”

“We’re not lying, Emerson! We don’t know if they’re attacking or just scouting!”

“Why else would they be scouting for!”

“Guys!” Diego yelled standing up and glaring at his guardians, “Can we stop with the yelling?”

Emile pinched his brow, “I’m sorry Diego, that Emerson got worked up over nothing. Now, am I traveling alone or do any of you want to join me?”

Remy looked at Emile, their voice hard but their eyes pouring worry as they stared at their husband, “No one should go to the avian village, Emile!”

Emile quickly twisted towards them, “No. The boys will stay here, but I’m going to my home to visit my friends and to see my goddamn nephew, Emerson. I’m not a child, and I can protect myself.” Emile walked quickly out of the dining room, abandoning his plate of food and walking towards the bedroom, which they loudly slammed the door of.

The dining room was quiet as Remy slumped into their seat, hands covering their face as they groaned into them. Roman sat at the table still, staring at his plate of food as he thought about what happened. His father, sending more armies into the woods? That was not going to be good.

He flinched as he felt an arm grasp his shoulder but relaxed as he saw Virgil standing there. He pulled Roman out of his seat, and the two of them, plus Diego who saw them escaping, walked quickly out of the room and out of the house.

They ended up near the river, Diego jumping into it as the other two settled down near the edge. Diego’s head popped out of the water as he sighed, his long golden and black tail trailed back in the water, the almost completely set sun’s final rays shining off of his scales.

Roman laid back into the grass, “Well, that was eventful.”

“Tell me about it,” Diego groaned into his hands as he floated in the slow water, “The two of them never fight unless it’s actually important.”

Virgil hummed, sitting cross-legged as he thought, “Do you think the humans are actually preparing an attack? Ro, when you still lived there, was there any indication that the king was planning for one?”

Roman stiffened before forcing himself to relax, “Well, as a commoner, I didn’t hear much, but I knew that the king didn’t want to infiltrate the forest, and people thought he might’ve been afraid to do so.”

“So then what changed? How can a man change his opinions in just a few months?”

Roman shrugged at Diego’s question, “I don’t know, but let’s hope for the best. Maybe he’s just scouting to see how much space Alimagians have and reveal he’s giving up territory?

Virgil raised an unimpressed eyebrow and Roman deflated, “I don’t know anymore. I thought I knew my kingdom more than I did, I guess.”

Diego stretched out to grasp his hand, looking into his eyes, “Hey, don’t worry about it, Ro. We get it.”

Roman gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand once around Diego’s, and the boy squeezed back before letting go.

Virgil sighed, “So…are we ever going to talk about…this?” He gestured vaguely with one hand.

Roman looked confused, but Diego just blushed, “What do you mean?”

“The three of us, the hand-holding, and just everything. Can we talk about it?”

Roman started blushing as well but looked away, staring at the woods at his left as he spluttered, “I-well, I mean-”

“Boys!”

Emile called out, walking outside, his face tired but stern, “I told the three of you no swimming after dinner. Come inside.”

Roman let out a breath of relief for not having to expose his heart so soon, but both Diego and Virgil looked annoyed.

Virgil groaned, “Diego’s the only one swimming, Em.”

Diego swatted at his arm, “Wow, thanks, V.”

“I don’t care. Get inside. I’m not in a great mood tonight, boys, don’t give me a reason t gt mad.”

The three sighed, Roman standing up first before reaching out first to Virgil to help him up, and then a transformed back Diego who was still soaking wet, his clothes the only things dry. He stood from the water and shook his head, shaking water all over his two friends. 

Virgil squawked in indignation but Roman only rolled his eyes, giving Diego a look. Diego rolled his eyes back with a smirk before flicking his hand and pulling the water off of the two and himself and throwing it into the river behind him.

The three started walking back to the house, Emile having walked back inside and knowing the atmosphere wasn’t going to be delightful. Virgil huffed into his room without a word, and Diego and Roman gave each other a confused look before Roman shrugged, saying good-night to the boy as he laid down on his bed.

–

The next morning, Emile walked out of their room early in the morning to make himself a cup of tea, his wings held tightly against his back. After he got the boys inside, he had stalked back to his room and slammed the door. Eventually, Remy walked in in silence, changing and getting into the bed without a word to their husband.

Emile refused to speak to his partner that night even though he knew they were awake. Both of them got a night full of restless sleep over the hurt and annoyance the other felt. Emile truly wished Remy would just trust him more, trust him to make his own judgment, but he didn’t understand their fears. 

The village had always had the festival, celebrating the blooming flowers and new animals that came each spring, but for the last three years, his people became more and more nervous of humans, since a few had begun exploring the avians’ mountains and coming close to finding their villages. 

But finally, they decided to celebrate again, and Emile could finally visit without being worried. It’d been years since he saw little Logan, even though the boy was about to turn seventeen now. 

Remy had met his family before and Emile wished his partner could recognize that Emile truly was safe around them, but sadly, they didn’t. There was talk of humans near the avian settlement, but there was always talk of it. 

Humans rarely found it, and when they did, they often didn’t make it back to their homes. Not because the avians would kill them, they’d just succumb to the cold. 

But still, knowing people, soldiers could find his home was frightening, many humans were. 

Well, not Roman, Emile reminded himself, Roman was always sweet and never had tried anything. Anyways, even though humans may be near his village, his village is strong and protected, and so there shouldn’t be any worries, but Remy just wouldn’t listen to him.

However, Emile did take a peek into the living room where the human slept soundly, and let out a gentle sigh. Roman is fine, don’t worry, he assured himself and went back to making the tea. 

When he had his cup made, he hummed happily, and walked outside, sitting comfortably on one of the chairs that sat there, his wings relaxing as he was enveloped by the outdoors. He sipped his tea and sighed, a smile growing on his mouth.

“Emile?”

Emile tensed, and looked back at the door, seeing his partner standing there, their hand rubbing their neck awkwardly.

Emile cocked their eyebrow, their words coming out forced and biting, “Yes? What is it?”

Remy cringed, looking to the ground before meeting Emile’s eyes, “I’m sorry, Emile. I shouldn’t have tried to force you not to go, but…I’m just worried about you, Em.”

Remy sat down on a chair adjacent to their husband, and looked at them with guilt written on their face. Emile sighed, holding his tea in both hands as he sipped, “I’m sorry too, I shouldn’t have yelled at you at the table in front of the boys, I’m just frustrated, Remy.”

“I know, my love. I’m still worried though, you know the rumors, that the king is planning an attack soon upon some villages. I just really don’t want you getting hurt.”

Emile let out another sigh, looking up at his partner, reaching out and grabbing one of their hands, “I know, love, but you have to trust me. Everything will be fine, and I’ll only be gone for a weekend or so. You’ve been to the village, it’s safe.”

“I know, I know, Emile. But do you have to go? I don’t want something to happen to you when I can’t help.”

“Well,” Emile placed down their cup of tea on a table and traced his partner’s jaw with his index finger, laying his hand on their cheek, which they leaned into, “You won’t always be there when I need you, but the time won’t be one of those times. Nothing will go wrong, I promise. And if something does, god forbid, I’ll come home right away, Okay?”

Remy sighed, nodding slowly before standing up and walking in front of Emile, who stood, opening his arms. Remy seemed to leap into them, hugging him tightly, “Okay, Emmy, okay.”

Emile smiled, hugging them back and kissing Remy’s temple, his wings wrapping around the two. After a minute or so of this, Emile spoke up, “Love, I need to finish my tea, let’s sit back down, hmm?”

Remy somehow nodded with their head still in Emile’s shoulder, and they pulled away, a soft grin on their face as they sat back down at the small table and chairs where they sat before and where his tea was sitting, still warm but cooling fast.

Remy took a sip from Emile’s cup, and he swatted at them, “Go away, Somnus. You don’t even like tea.”

“Wow, last name? How cold.”

Emile rolled his eyes with a smile, “Just like my tea is getting. Go get your own.”

“But I love bothering you.”

“You are the absolute worst, my love.”

Remy leaned forward and kissed his cheek, “I know, “ and walked back inside to make themselves some coffee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just in case you're confused, emerson somnus is remy’s full name, but they go by remy. it is not their deadname or anything of the sort. emile kept his last name, picani, when the two were married and remy kept theirs as well. :)
> 
> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	14. the send-off

Emile bustled around the house, checking every corner of every room to make sure everything was in place. Diego rolled his eyes and Virgil scoffed, but Roman just grinned. 

Emile was frazzled, his wings puffed up as he dashed from room to room, making sure he hadn’t left anything important. Meanwhile, Remy sat in a chair in front of the house biting at their nails anxiously. 

Remy was worried about Emile, but he trusted him, and it wasn’t their place to force Emile to stay.

It had been a week or so since they fought and even though they’d made up, Remy was still extremely worried.

What if something went wrong on the way? What if by Emile going, it showed human armies where they should go? What if Remy lost their husband by human hands?

Remy forced themselves to shake it off, and they focused on being optimistic, which was difficult for their pessimistic nature. They watched Diego and Virgil bully and tease Roman as he attempted to lay down in the sun and relax as all four of them waited to see Emile off, and they smiled. Those three boys really did care for each other, more than Remy thought was possible. 

Remy trusts Emile to be safe, and they know their husband would never do anything reckless purposefully, so they calmed themselves down, taking a breath before popping a smile on. Its edges were lined with nervousness, but they kept it on, allowing themselves to relax in the sun.

–

Emile sighed, eventually grabbing the knife Remy had given to him when they started dating and fastened the sheath to his belt just in case, the knife settling on his hip. He took a deep breath, calming himself down before walking into the front lawn, where his family relaxed, waiting for him.

He knew that his trip could be dangerous, but “danger” damn it, he wanted to see his family again. Logan’s birthday was the day of the festival, the least Emile could do is celebrate it with him. 

Emile wished he could bring his boys and Remy with him, but he understood the dangers of bridging them, the fact there wasn’t enough time to travel with all five of them, but also that Roman’s presence would probably scare the avians, and he didn’t want that for them nor Roman.

As he walked out the door, Remy’s face parked up, and their nervous smile turned into a true one, and the three teenagers stopped their arguing and looked up at him, Diego slowly wiping the grass of his shirt and Virgil snorting as Roman rolled his eyes. Emile loved his family at the village, but he’d miss this family too. 

“Alright then,“ Emile stood in front of everyone, his bag slung over his arm, “I’m all packed.”

Roman stood up, swatting at Virgil who poked his arm, walking to Emile with anxiety lining his face but a smile on his lips, “I hope the festival is lovely, Emile, make sure to tell us all about it.”

Emile smiled wrapping the human boy that had wormed his way into everyone’s heart in his arms, hugging him tightly. Roman froze for a second before melting in them, hugging him back just as tightly. Diego smirked, rolling his eyes before walking up and joining the hug, tugging Virgil along with him, who placed his hand on Emile’s shoulder instead. Remy strolled up slowly, hugging the four of them and Emile wrapped his pale brown and grey wings around his family.

Eventually, they all let go, and Emile gave Remy a long slow kiss before pulling away, wrapping them alone in his arms before letting go and taking a step back. He stretched out his back, before grinning, “Well, I’ll be off then. I’ll be back in about three days or so, so make sure not to destroy anything, alright?”

Virgil scoffed, his eyes slightly red, “We’re not children, Em. We’ll be fine.”

“Don’t worry, love, I’ll keep an eye on them.” Remy winked and Emile’s grin widened. He took a breath, calming his nerves before he waved, turning around and batting his wings, lifting off the ground a few feet.

He waved once more, blowing a kiss to them before he flew away. The four stood there watching his form eventually disappear into the distance before they collectively let out a nervous breath. Remy gave a nervous smile to them, “He’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“Let’s hope so, “ Diego grumbled, “Or else he’s gonna get yelled at by a bunch of teenagers and his partner.”

Virgil snorted, and the four slowly walked into the house.

–

The air whipped around Emile as he flew through it, but his warm sweater kept him warm as well as the constant beating of his wings. He had memorized the route to the mountains for years now, so all he had were his thoughts.

Well, he had had only his thoughts until he looked down and saw a camp of about fifty or so human soldiers. Emile felt like his blood was freezing as he flew by but he kept batting his wings, turning sharply so if any humans were to see him, they’d go in the wrong direction. 

He pounded his wings, lifting himself higher and high until he felt it was safe enough to head towards the mountains. 

The humans hadn’t noticed him, and they were well enough away from his village that he knew not to worry, but it was around halfway between his cottage next to the river and his village. 

His heart caught in his throat as he imagined them going towards his family, but he forced himself to calm down, remembering that the chance was still slim and if they were to evacuate, he and Remy had already spoken of a rendezvous point.

They were safe, Emile knew it in his heart. The four of them were happily laughing and cooking and gardening and swimming and playing and storytelling and they were fine. They were safe and Emile didn’t need to worry.

But, what if Remy was right? What if humans were going to attack soon? What if Emile wasn’t there to protect his family? 

He shook his head, promising himself not to worry for Remy’s sake, but to still keep an eye out for humans just in case. 

Hopefully, his quick trip home would be short, sweet, and safe. 

Hopefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	15. the nephew

Emile, his bag held tightly in his hand, finally landed at the village, right near the front of the house. Emile bats his wings as he hit the ground, his heels digging into the packed dirt of the mountain walk roads. 

He let out a breath as he turned, cracking his back.

It had been six hours or so since he began flying as fast as he could to the mountains, and the sun was just beginning to set. He yawned, looking around him with a grin on his face as he saw the decorations placed on all of the homes and on the road. 

Emile chuckled and turned right, walking to his childhood home that was now inhabited by his best friend, his husband, and his nephew.

“Emmy!”

Emile turned toward the voice and saw his childhood best friend, Sloane, running towards him. 

“Slowpoke!”

Emile caught Sloane in his arms, his rust-colored wings fluttering quickly as he laughed.

“I missed you so much, Emile! Logan is really excited to see you.”

The two pulled away, still clutching each other’s arms, “Really?”

“Well, I think he’s excited. His dad’s getting him right now, I think he’s up in a tree somewhere.”

“Well, that’s fun. How is Corbin, nowadays?”

“He’s doing fantastic, loves being a dad. How’s Remy?”

“Well, they were really worried about me visiting, but I managed to convince them that it’s safe, so if something happens to me, it’s on you, slowpoke.”

Sloane laughed before grabbing Emile’s hand and running towards his house, the two laughing as they went.

As the two walked closer to the house, Logan was unaware, sitting up in a tree as his father had predicted, his glasses clutched in one hand and a book balanced on his knees. His uncle, Emile was to visit that day, but Logan didn’t care much. Well, he cared for his uncle, but that was later. Now, there was information to be read.

A soft smile sat upon his lips as he read with excited vigor, one of his hands excitedly flapping next to his shoulder as he flipped the pages. His wings ruffled and the tips began to flap as he turned page after page, absolutely consumed in it.

“Logan, where are you?”

Logan flinched hard, his wings stilling, and he looked up to see his father flying nearby, his chestnut wings beating powerfully.

“Logan, come on! Your father and I’ve been looking for you!”

Logan sighed, a hint of annoyance mixed with his chuckle. He loved spending time with his parents, but Logan wanted to keep reading. He knew it was important to his father to spend time with the family, but he’d rather just stay on his treetop, reading all of the different stories people had to tell and being able to learn all that they do.

“I’m coming, Dad,” Logan called out as he collected his items thrown around him. Logan was usually “somewhat tidy” with his items (His fathers would be quicker to call it an organized mess), but today, all he wanted to do was relax alone, without any worry or people bothering him.

“Oh, there you are, Logan!” Logan’s father seemed to appear from the air, landing smoother than Logan could imagine on the ground underneath the tree and adjusting his glasses, “I was beginning to get worried.”

“Well, I was here.”

“Yes, you were, “ His father chuckled, “I should’ve guessed that first. Anyways, aren’t you excited?”

“Very,” Logan said monotonically, staring back at the cover of his book as he walked at the side of his father back home.

“Your uncle just arrived, and Sloane went out to meet him. He looks really good, like no time has even passed.”

Logan hummed, rapping his fingers on the side of his book as his father spoke.

Well, he wasn’t his biological father, neither was his other father. The only biological family he had was his uncle, Emile. His mother and father died when he was about three, just a fledgling, so young he couldn’t really remember them. Emile couldn’t take him in since he was travelling the world at that point and thought that Logan should grow up in the village, so his best friend Sloane took him in. Sloane married Corbin a few years later, and the two of them are all Logan’s ever known, and he couldn’t imagine life without them.

As Logan thought, the tips of his wings began to twitch with excitement. He really did miss Emile, he hasn’t seen him in almost two years, since he’d been settling down with his family at that point, but Logan didn’t hold it against him.

“Logan!”

The boy in question looked up from the ground to see his uncle standing about fifty feet away from him, a beaming smile on his face and tightly gripping his father’s hand.

Logan froze for just a moment before he bolted, running as fast as he could towards his uncle and jumping into his arms, knocking the two to the ground. Emile laughed loudly as he pressed the teenager close to him, sitting up with the boy still in his arms.

“Hi, Logan,” He smiled at the back of the boy’s head.

Logan pulled away, a grin on his face and he shoved his glasses back into place, “Hi, Emile.”

Emile chuckled, “I missed you, too.”

“Logan, how ‘bout you get off your uncle? He’s almost definitely tired from his flight.”

Logan rolled his eyes and grumbled but got off of him, his wings still buzzing a bit but he calmed them down before he stood next to his dad with his arms crossed.

Emile gave Corbin a sly grin, “Looks like you’re the only person who hasn’t been hugged yet, hmm, Corbie?”

Corbin stiffened, glaring at the avian who ignored him and wrapped him in his arms as Sloane giggled. Corbin grumbled but hugged his friend back, but when they pulled away, he began walking away, calling back to his family, “Come on, dinner’s almost ready.”

Emile grabbed his nephew’s shoulder, Logan smirking back up at him with Sloane smiling next to them, and the three avians began walking inside to the small cottage the family called home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	16. the morning

During dinner that night, Emile told his friends and nephew everything about his life, but at the same time, hid so much. 

He told them about Remy’s job helping to keep the border safe but didn’t tell them about the rumors they had heard about the avian village. He told them about Roman, the new addition to their family, but didn’t tell them he was a human, lying and saying he was a mage. 

Emile loved his family, but he knew that telling them the whole truth would do nothing good, just scare them and make their feathers worn. 

Emile knew Logan wouldn’t take the news about a human living with Emile well, seeing Emile’s own brother and sister-in-law were killed by them, but Emile knew Roman was different.

Emile was just going to slowly introduce Logan to the idea of Roman and gradually reveal his true identity. He knew the two boys would either get along wonderfully, with their sharp minds and wit connecting them or absolutely terribly, with their sharp minds and wit opposing them.

No matter that, Emile went to bed on the couch and ached as he woke up, his back feeling tired and worn after only one night on it. He groaned, rubbing it as he was reminded where Roman slept and made sure to remind himself to get the boy a bed soon.

“Oh, Em, you’re up!”

Sloane walked into the living room, yawning as his rust wings stretched out behind him.

“Come, I’ll make tea.”

Emile smiled, standing up as well and creeping over to the kitchen table, where he sat as Sloane lit the stove and began heating the water. The man then sat across from Emile and mirrored his smile.

“I’m so glad you’re home, Emmy. People have been getting more nervous with time and so seeing you safe is a relief.”

Emile grabbed his hand, his smile softening, “I’m glad too. I’d heard rumors of human soldiers getting closer to the village, but now that I’m here I can see that you’re safe.”

Sloane nodded, asking curiously, “So, why didn’t Emerson come along? You said they loved the village?”

Emile nodded, “They do, it’s just that they’re worried about an attack on the village, and so we decided it was safer for only me to go. And also, it’d be difficult bringing the boys along, and we didn’t want to leave them alone together, “ Emile raised his eyebrows as he spoke and Sloane grinned, “And so we decided it was just better overall this way. Next time though, once things have calmed down, they’ll be sure to come along.”

Sloane opened his mouth to respond but the kettle began to whistle, and so he swept himself up and quickly took it off the heat, bringing it to the table with a small cup of jasmine tea leaves and small cups.

“Oh, I understand. But the boys?” Sloane raised an eyebrow as he grinned, spooning the leaves into the cups before dousing them with water. He slid one over to Emile and the man gave him a small bow of the head in return, thanking him.

“Oh yes, the boys. You know, Remy and I always knew that Virgil and Diego had some sort of…” He gestured vaguely with one hand, “Feelings for one another, but it seems as if introducing a new person, they were finally able to show it to each other, and as time passed, to Roman as well.”

Sloane hummed, taking a sip of his tea before sighing, “Roman is a mage, correct?”

“He is,” Emile nodded, sipping the tea in his hands to cover his horrible poker face.

Sloane hummed into his cup, “Well, I hope Remy and he are connecting well, does Remy teach him much?”

Emile smiles, remembering just how close the two had become, “They are connecting amazingly, Roman has wormed himself into the family perfectly, I honestly can’t imagine the family without him, but I also thought that before Virgil, so maybe I just like kids.”

Sloane and Emile shared a laugh, and they continued to drink in comfortable silence. 

Emile cleared his throat, “So, it was Logan’s birthday last week, was it not? Seventeen?”

“Yep, he’s getting so old now.”

“You’ve had him for thirteen years now then, that’s crazy to imagine.”

“I know, isn’t it? But I’m still so grateful that the stars aligned themselves so we could have him, even though…well…you know.”

Emile smiled sadly, “Yeah, but even still, I’m glad too.”

He gave a sly grin to break the sad mood they fell into, “You know, my boys are all around that age too.”

Sloane snorted a laugh, “Oh goodness, do you remember him and Diego when they first met?”

Emile giggled, “Oh, my goodness, those two couldn’t stop blushing.”

“Who couldn’t stop blushing?”

Logan sluggish walked into the kitchen, Corbin close behind, and Emile and Sloane burst out laughing. Logan looked extremely confused and Corbin just clasped his shoulder, walking the two of them into the room before sitting down and pouring himself a cup of tea.

He sipped it, but cringed. His husband gave him a small glare, “Corbin, stop taking my tea if you dislike it.”

“Mm, or I can keep drinking your tea and you just deal with it.”

Sloane snathed the tea out of his hand, almost spilling it, but Corbin just laughed, Emile joining in while Logan stared at the splashed tea in slight panic. Emile patted Logan’s shoulder, grinning up at the teenager, “Come on, chickadee, sit down.”

Sloane snorted into his cup as Logan turned bright red, stammering. Emile reached around and pulled out the chair next to him, and Logan grumpily sat in it, Corbin ruffling his hair with a soft smile.

Emile cleared his throat, “So, the festival is tonight then, hmm?”

Logan rolled his eyes, groaning into his hands and Sloane smiled and nodded.

“You excited then, Logie?” 

Emile poked Logan’s shoulder and he swatted at him, “No. It’s a waste of time, Emile.”

Emile stood up, walking behind the boy and wrapping his arms around him, ignoring his annoyed squawk as his wings became pinned to his sides, “Aw, come on, you’ll be spending time with family, and I get to meet your friends!”

Logan paled, looking up at his uncle in horror before squirming out of his arms and running out the door, shouting, “Absolutely not!” over his shoulder as he went, leaving the adults cackling inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	17. the festival

“Come on, Logan! The party’s gonna start in half an hour, why don’t you go get ready?”

Logan glanced up at Emile for less than a second before flipping the page in his book, a single eyebrow quirking but his eyes not leaving the page as he replied, “Do you mean the festival?”

Emile grinned bedding, and Logan pinched his brow, “I don’t see why I have to dress up, Emile. Everyone there I already know, and I’m only going because my fathers asked me to. They didn’t ask for me to dress up, and so I won’t.”

Emile huffed, a grin coming over his face as he looked at the nephew, running forward and plucking the teenage avian off of the love seat he had comfortably snuggled down in and into his arms, holding the squawking boy like a princess.

“What are-Emile! Put me down at once! I-Emile!”

Sloane walked into the living room, buttoning up his shirt and he looked up to see his best friend holding his shouting son who began yelling for help when he saw him enter the room.

“Dad! Help!”

Sloane snorted, falling to his knees at the sight. Corbin peeked in, eyes widening and eyebrows raising at the scene, laughing at the betrayed look that his son shot his husband as he was carried into his bedroom.

A few minutes later, with loud squawking punctuating every minute or so, Logan stepped out of his room, Emile following behind with a proud grin on his face. Emile’s pink sweater was disheveled as he proudly stood beside his nephew, who, with his arms crossed across and his eyes narrowed, was now wearing a navy blue, more relaxed tunic with the sleeves rolled up, his usual black one away inside his room.

His father’s grinned at the sight and Logan hissed, blue wings rising behind him. His dads ignored him, wrapping their arms around the angry boy and his uncle.

“I hate all of you.”

“No, you don’t. Let’s go to the party!”

“It’s not a party-”

“I don’t care!”

Emile grabbed his nephew’s hand and ran out the door, the teenager, squawking as he was forced to run after him. Sloane grabbed Corbin’s forearm and the two smiled at one another and began to walk hand in hand towards the square of the village.

Emile beamed at the square, seeing the shining pastel lanterns and flower petals decorating every inch of the ground. 

A teenager turned towards him, and his face lit up, and he ran towards the two avians. Logan huffed as the boy wrapped his arms around Emile, grinning.

“Emile! I haven’t seen you since I was like twelve or something!”

“Percy!”

Emile let the boy down who immediately grabbed Logan and hugged him too, “I didn’t know you were coming, Logie! Thought your dads would let you stay home this time!”

Logan swatted at his friends, trying and failing to push him off of him, but a small grin broke through, “That’s what I hoped, but unfortunately, I’m going to have to be around you.”

Percy swatted back at him, his own grin growing, before he called over his shoulder, “Hey, Nate, Anton! Look who’s here!”

A groan came from where Percy had run from, and two boys walked over from one of the food stands a neighbor had put up giving out fried dough.

“What is it, Perc? Did you find Logan ye-wait, is that-”

A grin split Emile’s smiling face even further, and he scooped a squawking teenager into his arms to the laughter of the other one, “Oh my goodness, Nathan, it’s so good to see you again! I haven’t seen any of Logan’s friends since you all were just kids!”

The other boy, Anton, smiled, leaning his elbow on Logan’s shoulder and leaned his head on his fist, ignoring Logan’s huff. “Logan, why didn’t you tell us our uncle was visiting? We would have made a banner or something.”

Logan rolled his eyes but still smiled, “Because I knew you’d all be dramatic about it. He’s just here for the festival, he’s leaving soon anyways-”

Percy cried out, “What? Why?” He leaned on Logan’s back, draping himself with his wings dramatically spreading out as he fained sobbing into Logan’s shoulder.

Nathan rolled his eyes, “Calm down, Percy, you look ridiculous.” He turned, “But, why so soon?”

Emile smiled, “I’ll try visiting in a few months again, but I have to go back to my family.”

Percy’s eyes lit up, “Do you have kids?”

Emile barked out a laugh, smirking, “In a way, sure. Remy and I have three teenagers around your age staying with us, the latest one for only a month or so now. So, I’d like to see him again soon before he leaves. But, I’ll bring all of them with me next time, I promise.”

“Oh yeah, I remember Remy. The last time I saw them was your wedding, I think. Right, Logan?” Anton asked.

The avian shrugged, “Probably.”

Sloane and Corbin caught up with them, grinning at the five. 

“I see you’ve already become acquainted with the teenagers, hmm, Emile?”

Anton nodded, “Hey, Mr. and Mr. Clark.”

Corbin chuckled, “And hello to you, Anton. How’s your grandmother doing? Is she going to be at the square tonight?”

He nodded, “She’s doing good, you’ll see her.”

Sloane smiled in return, “Good, good. Now, if we may steal Emile from you, I’d like to show him the new houses built in the past few years.”

Percy groaned, clinging to his arm, “That’s so boring! He’s the only good adult and we’ve only had him for like five minutes!”

Emile patted his shoulder, “You’ll see me later, Percy. I won’t leave without a goodbye.”

Nathan grabbed Logan’s arm, “Come on, L, Mr. Greentree has free food, and if we’re too late, it’ll be gone.”

He nodded his head, and the four all walked off, Logan giving his fathers a pained gaze as Anton and Percy waved. The adults laughed before turning around, walking away.

Nathan wiggled his eyebrows at Logan, “So…teenage boys? I remembered how you were last time you visited Em, do they have any…how do you say…reason for why you were so upset when you came back?”

Logan’s face turned beet-red, and he shouted as the other two began to laugh, ‘Shut up!”

“Aw,” Percy poked his shoulder, “Were they at least cute?”

He swatted at his cackling friend’s arm, “No comment.”

Anton stage-whispered to Nathan, “That means yes,” And the warm spring air was filled with laughter as Logan pointedly ignored the three and walked to get fried dough. 

Logan only had met Diego and Virgil once, and while they had stolen his heart that summer two years ago, it was in the past. He hadn’t even met this third one yet, and he knows it’ll be disastrous when he does. But for now, Logan decided to forget his feelings and his friends' laughter, and just enjoy the festival.

That was easy enough, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	18. the alcohol

“I’m so bored, I can’t even bug Emile!” Diego moaned, throwing himself down into the pillows on his bed.

Roman hummed in response, his focus entirely on coloring in the picture Virgil had earlier drawn instead of his dramatic friend. Diego balanced himself to hang off the side of his bed to swat at Roman to get his attention.

“Hey!” Roman sat back at him with a smile as he put down his pencil, looking up at Diego.

“Come on, let’s go do something, Ro.”

“Dee,” Roman counted off on his fingers, “It’s almost night, Remy said no swimming this late, and we can’t feed the chickens again or garden.” 

He gestured down at the drawing, “I’m perfectly content with just sitting here and relaxing.”

Diego rolled his eyes, pouting, “Well, I’m not. You’re lucky Virgil is busy making dinner or else we’d be able to convince you into not being such a stick-in-the-mud constantly.”

“Hey!” Roman said again but now affronted, “I’m not a stick in the dirt or whatever you called me! I can be fun!”

Roman crossed his arms and leaned back into Diego’s bed frame, the drawing and pencils perched on his lap.

“Oh, really? Show me then.” Diego leaned into Roman’s space with an eyebrow quirked and a smirk. 

Roman’s face reddened, but he stared into Diego’s eyes with a soft smile. Diego’s face pinkened at the implication, but he swallowed instead of pulling away, leaning in. Roman’s eyes widened before they gently closed, and he leaned in as well until…

A knock on the door interrupted the two. Roman jumped up at the sound and Diego fell off the bed completely. The door creaked open and Remy stood there with a smirk, and Roman’s face reddened at the realization Remy knew exactly what they were interrupting,

“Dinner’s ready, boys. Roman, I need you to set the dinner table while Diego fetches the drinks, alright?”

The boys hummed in response, looking everywhere but Remy’s face. Remy snickered before closing the door and walking away.

Roman looked over at Diego as the door closed with an embarrassed smile, Diego mirroring it with his own. Roman reached out his hand and Diego grabbed it, and the two walked out of the room with their faces still red and into the dining room.

–

“So, tell us more about your boys, we know we’ve talked enough about ours.”

“Well,” Emile laughed, running his hand through his muscled hair, “You’ve met Virgil and Diego before, b-”

“It’s been years, humor us, dear.” Sloane smiled at his best friend as he held hands with his husband. The three walked through the village, the sun low in the sky, not having set yet. 

They were relaxed even though the air was loud with children’s laughter and joyful screeches. The three sat at a bench, and Emile smiled.

“Well, they’re all extremely dramatic, but Diego worst of all, even though Roman is getting close to winning. Virgil is still really anxious most of the time, but tends to push it down or ignore it. The three are so close, they’re best friends, but Remy and I suspect they all feel something more for one another. But, Roman hasn’t ever been in a…well…great situation, so they’re all taking it really slowly.”

“What do you mean ‘great situation’, Emile? Was he abused?”

Emile sighed, “Well, Corbin, we’re not quite sure. Remy knows more than I do, but from what I do know, his family didn’t treat him right, preferring his brother over him, to the point of his brother trying to kill him to take over the family business.”

“That’s awful!”

“We’re aware, but Roman wants to go back, and we’re not quite sure what to do now.”

“Oh, so he isn’t an orphan?”

“We know his father lives, but we don’t know anything about his mother, he avoids talking about her, we think on purpose. But he started staying with us because he was wounded by his brother’s attempt on his life, and so we took him in. I talk to him like he’s my son like I do the other two, but he wants to eventually leave, and I’m so worried about that day.” 

Emile pinched his brow, leaning forward on the bench, and Sloane rubbing in between his wings in comfort.

“You’ll be okay, he’ll visit, won’t he? Is his village nearby?”

Emile winced, looking down, “Sure, but still.”

“Don’t worry, he’ll be sure to visit.” Corbin looked at his husband and smiled, “We know how it feels like to worry where your kid’ll go when they get older, Logan has spoken about leaving when he turns eighteen next year, and we’re nervous where he’ll go.”

Emile laughed, “That boy loves you too more than anything, he’ll be begging to come back in a week.”

The three laughed, and Corbin continued, “Sure, but we know how hard-headed that boy is, and we worry for him. But, we know he’ll come back to the nest soon or later, and you should too.”

Emile smiled at his friend and gave him a thankful nod, “Thank you, Corbin. That’s calmed my nerves just a bit more. But speaking of calming my nerves, “ Emile looked around with a grin, “Do you know if or where they’re serving alcohol?”

The three laughed, and Sloane pointed off towards the square, “I think Henry Jenkins is serving some ale and such at a stand down there for free, help yourself.”

Emile stood, stretching out his back, “You two want anything?”

Sloane shook his head as Corbin nodded, ‘I’ll just take a beer.”

Emile smiled and turned to get the drinks.

–

“Logie, come on! You look the oldest out of all of us!”

Logan pushed up his glasses as he glared at his friends, “Percy, Mr. Jenkins has known all of us since we were literal infants, he’s going to know I’m not eighteen yet.”

“Tell him it’s your birthday, he probably doesn’t know the actual day, and can you ‘pretty pwease have some alcohowl?’” Nathan clasped his hands together and pursed his lips in imitation, and Anton snorted as Percy perked up.

“Come on, please, Logan? We’ll pay you back?”

Logan glared back at his friends before sighing, “My fathers are going to kill me after this.”

Percy cheered as Nathan grinned, with Anton slapping his back as he walked with his back taught towards the stand.

–

Emile jumped as something brushed his wing, whipping around to see just a bit of ash and a falling leaf. He assumed the ash was from the lanterns burning bright around him, and he let out a sigh. He patted the knife on his hip and continued in the direction towards the village square.

–

Logan thought he heard something in the distance, but turned to see just his neighbor walking down the street holding a cart full of spring flowers.

He plucked one out, placing it behind his ear and waving towards his neighbor who pulled the cart, who nodded back and continued walking.Logan made his way over to the stand and sheepishly smiled at Mr. Jenkins, who raised a single eyebrow in his direction as he dried a glass with a towel.

“Logan, Picani’s boy. Now, what are you doing here at my stand?”

“I’m sorry to ask this, but my birthd-”

“Logan? What the hell are you doing?”

Logan froze, his wings twitching as he turned around to see his uncle with his hands on his hips and brow furrowed, his wings raised a bit.

He stammered, “I was-I mean-”

Emile ran his hand through his hair, sighing, “Come on, Lo. Don’t do this.”

Logan sighed, his wings dropping, “I know, Emile, I’m sorry.”

Mr. Jenkins laughed, “Nice to see you again, Emile. Make sure that nephew of yours stays away from my liquor, ya hear?”

Emile smiled, nodding to the old man and grabbing Logan’s embarrassed shoulder, “Don’t even worry about it, and it’s good to see you too, Jenkins.”

Jenkins waved the two away with a chuckle, and Emile started leading Logan in the direction of his parents.

He sighed, looking over to his embarrassed nephew, “Look, Logan, I won’t tell your parents if you promise not to do dumb things like that again, okay? I know it was your friends who put you up to that, but I’ll talk to them later.”

Logan grinned and Emile mirrored him, “Agreed,” Before he threw himself in the arms of his favorite uncle, the two hugging.

“But, you should check in with your parents anyway, it has been over an hour since you’ve seen each other.”

Logan shrugged “Sure,” and the two began to walk.

But they froze as they smelled smoke, the first bomb dropping onto the village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the chapter where all of the warnings start to be included, so please read through them, because the majority of them will continue throughout the rest of the story.
> 
> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	19. the attack

Logan first heard the screams of his neighbors before the bomb. The smell of fire and smoke filled the air, and he crashed to the ground with Emile holding him tightly. 

Logan looked into Emile’s eyes, panic filling his own, but in Emile’s eyes only knowing anger and fear lined them. “What’s going on?”

Emile stood, wincing as he grabbed his arm, soot from the bomb covering it with blood running from his shoulder, but he still grabbed Logan and ran.

“We’re being attacked,” he yelled behind him.

Logan’s eyes grew wide, and anger covered his face, “Humans?”

Emile pursed his lips, looking quickly behind him, and nodded. He pulled Logan behind him as he raced to the bench he had last seen his best friends and Logan’s fathers. 

But he froze as they came upon it, finding it empty. Sloane and Corbin were nowhere to be found.

Logan screamed, “DAD! FATHER!” Furious, terrified tears running down his face. Emile forced himself to look away from the bench, and he made Logan look at him, “We have to go, we’ll find them later.”

Logan grimaced, his face covered in dirt, but he nodded, “We have to find my friends first.”

Emile reached out, “No, we have to-Logan!”

Logan ignored his uncle, flying up in the air and ignoring the soldiers he saw at the outskirts of the village growing closer. He ignored the bomb that hit Percy’s house and that blew him backwards out the air, he ignored Mr. Jenkins body that lay in the street, spilled alcohol surrounding him and others who were standing in line just a minute before.

He couldn’t ignore Anton’s body that lay where he waited for Logan to return. 

“No!” A scream ripped itself out of Logan’s mouth and he flew to the ground, grabbing his body in his hands and looking into his face. He only saw empty, cloudy, dead eyes and a surprised open mouth. 

Bile rose inside his throat, and he looked away, and found his neighbors bodies surrounding him, covered in fire and ash. Vomit came pouring out of his mouth onto the dirt, Anton’s body safe in his arms. He couldn’t find Percy or Nathan, but guessed their fate was the same. 

He screamed, feeling a hand on his shoulder, but only saw Emile, who pulled him up. Emile saw Anton’s body and his face paled, eyes wide and filled with tears.

He shook his head, mouth wobbling but words strong, “We have to leave now, they’re getting ready to throw more, we can’t be here when they do.”

Logan held onto Anton’s body more, his head pounding and arms shaking, “B-but-”

Emile kissed Anton’s forehead, closing his eyes, before gripping Logan’s arm and pulling him up. 

Logan let him, legs weak but his adrenaline rushing through his veins, and he forced his wings to pump hard. He and Emile flew up into the clouds, ignoring the shouts of humans telling others to shoot them down, and ignoring the arrows that flew in front of his face.

–

The three boys laid outside after dinner, staring up at the setting sun. A blanket spread out underneath them, Roman lay in the middle with Virgil’s head on his chest and Diego laying at his other side, holding his hand, their fingers intertwined.

The sky was still full of clouds, though it was getting more and more difficult to see them every minute.

“That one looks like a cow.”

Roman looked down at Virgil with a confused and happy grin, “It does not, how can you see a cow in a big blob?”

Virgil shrugged, grinning, “I dunno, it just does.” He grabbed Roman’s free hand and used it to point at a cloud, “See that smaller blob connected to the other blob with the two blobs at the bottom? Cow-shaped.”

Roman squinted his eyes, “Ehh, somewhat.”

Virgil smirked, letting go of his head and pointing at another clod, “That one looks like a chicken, doesn’t it, Diego?”

Diego sputtered, almost like he was offended by the idea, “It does not! How could you even say that with any confidence?”

Virgil shrugged, “Dunno, looks dumb and bird-like.”

“They are not dumb!”

Roman squeezed his hand, “They’re a little dumb, Dee.”

Diego huffed ignoring his two friends as they laughed.

Diego suddenly sat up, smiling at the two, “I know this isn’t really important to say, but I really do lo-”

He was cut off by a loud crashing sound, and the three jumped. Roman turned to see Emile kneeling in front of the house, something grey covering his body and blood on his skin. 

Another person was next to him, but Roman paid them no attention, immediately standing up and running. Virgil cursed, his head hitting the ground after Roman moved, but he and Diego followed their friend.

“Emile?” Diego yelled, “What’re you doing-” He stopped in his footsteps, seeing the blood on his body, ”Here?”

Emile looked up from the other person, and his eyes grew softer as he looked at his boys. He stumbled over, “Virgil, go get Remy, now.”

Virgil grew stiff, recognizing Logan and staring at him, before nodding once and running inside.

Roman gripped Emile’s arms, ignoring Logan who knelt behind him, “What happened?”

Emile began to shake, but his voice didn’t. His eyes were hard as he looked at Roman, but not angry, “The village was attacked, bombed.”

The boy behind him choked out a sob, his wings coming up to wrap around himself. Diego knelt next to him, eyes growing wide as he realized who it was.

“Logan?”

He shook his head, forcing himself to stand up, holding onto Diego’s arm.

Roman was staring at Emile, mouth open wide in shock. He swallowed, already knowing the answer but still asking, “Who attacked?”

Emile’s eyes looked deep at Roman, and he opened his mouth, but Logan answered, hissing, “A human.”

Logan’s eyes pinned on Roman, and within a second or two, he had flown furiously towards him. He ripped Emile’s knife out of its sheath and knocked and pinned Roman to the ground, the knife in hand pressing dangerously against his neck. 

Roman’s head slammed against the ground, and Diego screamed as he saw the furious avian knock him down. 

Emile yelled, “Logan, what are you doing? Get off of him!”

Logan snarled and pressed his knife down harder, “He’s a human! He’s the reason they’re all dead! They probably left him behind to kill the rest of us hiding from them!”

“Logan, he has nothing to do with this! Roman has been here for months-”

Logan’s head whipped towards his uncle, “This is Roman? You said he was a mage! And months? Months! You let a human boy stay with you for months and didn’t think harm would come from it? They’re murderers, and you knew that he was here-”

Remy cut him off, having just run outside and hearing only the end of his speech, Virgil trembling at their side, “Logan, that is enough! He had nothing to do with what you’re talking about and he has been nothing but kind since we found him!”

“He’s probably just using you to kill all of you in your sleep, Now I’m going to have to do this to protect you four since you obviously can’t do it yourself-”

Roman interrupted, eyes wide and terrified, clearly remembering the last time he was almost murdered, “What? I didn’t d-do anything! I don’t even know who you are but trust me, I’m not a soldier!”

Remy held their hand out, “He isn’t, please, Logan, put the knife down.”

Logan stared down at his enemy for ten silent seconds, the other five holding their breath, not wanting to startle the already broken avian boy and cause him to do something all of them would regret. 

Finally, Logan cursed and threw the knife to the side, still holding Roman down.

“Fine. But if he does anything-”

Emile interrupted, “He won’t do anything, I trust him.”

“I don’t.”

Emile stared down at his nephew and opened his mouth to continue, but Remy announced, “Okay, now what the hell is happening? What happened in the village, and who is dead?”

Emile froze and looked at his partner, Logan‘s eyes filling with the fire that destroyed his home.

Emile brokenly smiled, and a pained laugh came out, tears welling in his eyes, “You were right, Emerson.”

Remy grabbed his shoulders, looking into his eyes, “What happened, Emile?”

Emile opened his mouth but Logan responded again, having gotten off of Roman and standing with his wings taut and spread wide, “Humans attacked my home, and killed our family, and soon? They’ll come after you.”

Virgil rushed to Roman’s side, helping the shocked human up from the ground. Roman whispered to himself, “Oh no,” as Emile began to cry into Remy’s shoulder and Logan’s arms wrapped around his stomach, the furious avian boy from moments ago looking as if he turned into a statue.

Diego stood next to Roman, Virgil on the human’s other side, and he murmured, “What’re we going to do?”

Remy looked at their family, their husband in his arms, their nephew and their three boys standing looking at them for answers. They swallowed, sighing before looking at Diego and Virgil, and saying clearly, “Clear up, boys.”

Virgil’s eyebrows furrowed before his eyes grew wide, but Diego’s lips just pursed, and he nodded. The two ran into the house, Logan following them, and Roman looked up at Remy, Emile having stopped crying and wiping his tears.

“What do you mean, ‘clear up’?”

Remy swallowed before looking into the human prince’s eyes, “We’re packing up, and leaving the cottage.”

They waved their hand toward the house, “Go pack up, Roman, you have thirty minutes before we leave.”

Roman’s jaw dropped, and he stammered, “B-but I’m a human?”

Remy pursed their lips, “We’re not leaving you behind, Roman. Your race doesn’t matter, you’re one of us now. Hurry, don’t waste any time, now.” 

They gave him a reassuring smile, but it was strained and tense. Roman just nodded quickly, and ran into the house, grabbing a bag Virgil had laid out on the sofa and began to pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	20. the goodbye

The six stood in front of the cottage together, Logan standing as far away from Roman as he possibly could and Emile’s wing holding him close. Remy had bandaged Emile’s shoulder and got the entire story meanwhile. 

Roman packed everything he now owned into the bag Virgil had left for him, it was solely full of clothing until he remembered his crown. 

He had found the bag he arrived with still under the couch, unmoved, and brought it with him, keeping it in the bag and hidden deep in the bottom of the other. He found the sword gifted to him by Remy as well, it now propped on his hip. 

Roman gnawed on his lip anxiously, and Virgil slipped his hand into Roman’s, looking into his eyes and nodding to show he felt the same. Remy sighed, clasping their hand on Emile’s shoulder and saying, “Everyone ready to go?”

Emile weakly nodded, and Remy walked up and locked the front door, tensing their hand and moving it up, a clump of dirt levitating with lilac magic above the ground as they tucked the key into the ground. 

They lowered their hand slowly to cover it up before shoving it down hard and making the ground pack itself tightly around the key. There was not any evidence that the ground was manipulated in the first place.

Diego sniffled, looking away. He mumbled quietly, “Our first real home, gone again.” Roman wrapped his free arm tightly around him, but Logan glared hard in his direction. Roman ignored him, holding his friend tighter.

Virgil looked at Remy, who walked over again, “Where are we going now, Rem?”

Remy pursed their lips, rubbing the back of their neck, “Well, we’re going to follow the river. It’s not safe to use the roads now that humans have infiltrated the forest barrier.” They quickly looked over the group before sighing, looking down, “There’s a human village fifty miles down if we follow the river. We’re heading there.”

Roman tensed, looking with wide eyes at Remy with his jaw wide. Logan had a more explosive action, “We’re going to the human’s lands? That is the most ignorant thing we can do, they’ll kill us on first sight, we’ll-”

Remy raised their hand with hard eyes, and Logan quieted, “I’m aware, Logan. However, it’s safer to hide out there than in an Alimagian village, since they could be attacked any day, and I don’t expect the kingdom to attack one of their own. When we need to, we’ll use glamours to cover our differences, but we won’t have to do that for a while. 

“We’re crossing the border tonight, but it’ll be following the river, and I have information saying it’s not guarded by humans regularly.” 

Logan huffed under his breath, “Nothing about this is regular anymore.” And Roman silently agreed with him but refused to say it out loud.

Emile swallowed, his voice hard to hide the terror in it for his boys’ sake, “So, we leave now?”

Remy nodded sadly, “I guess so, but we can hopefully return when it’s safe again.”

“It’s not going to be safe until all of the humans are dead.”

“Logan!” Emile sounded appalled. He too saw the carnage and death the humans had caused, but even then, they wouldn’t get justice from more death.

“What?” He hissed, and Diego walked over, placing his hand on the avian’s shoulder, which was shrugged off quickly, but he put it back on, and that time it wasn’t. Logan’s shoulders slumped and he grumbled, “Fine, let’s just go before they find us here.”

“Agreed,” Remy said, leading the group away from the house.

“Wait!” Diego’s eyes grew wide and he ran towards the house, “The chickens!”

A pang of sadness entered Roman’s heart, and he followed his friend, the other four close behind.

Diego knelt down in the chicken pen, and the hens gathered on his knees, clucking happily unaware.

Tears rolled down his scaled cheek, and he pressed a gentle kiss onto one’s head. 

“Be safe, Zoila.” Before he stood up, the chickens clucked in confusion as he opened the door to the pen and allowed them to walk out. He harshly rubbed his hand against his cheek to get rid of his tears, and watched his chickens happily walk into the woods, where they’d at least be able to survive humans if they found the house.

He sniffed, and Remy put their arm around his shoulders. He leaned into them for a moment, before standing up, his face harder than Roman had ever seen, not even when Diego hated him. The knives on his hips shined in the moonlight, but not as much as his eyes.

“Let’s go.”

–

Remy led the group, their husband by his side but the four teenagers behind them. Logan stood at the left while Roman was at the right, the two others acting as a buffer between them to avoid arguments. In their hand was purple fire lighting their way, the trees growing thicker around them quickly. 

Remy heard some harsh thing spat and whispered from the teenage avian’s mouth, but Roman kept ignoring them. Diego held Logan’s hand to keep from lashing out, and Virgil held Roman’s to keep him steady against the inflow of hate.

Remy knew the day they’d have to flee was growing closer, but he didn’t expect this. An attack against the avians, the most peaceful of the races? That was just wrong, no matter how you looked at it. The human king must be a horrible person, no morals to be found in order to do that.

But, the king was Roman’s father still. And Roman has to be aware that his father originated the attack so how is Roman holding up throughout this? His own brother tried to dispose of him two months ago and now his father murdered hundreds of avians for no reason? The guilt must be eating at him.

Soon enough, Remy saw a field in front of the forest, and they held up a hand, making all of the others pause behind them. They held a finger to their lips, pushing and causing a bubble of magic around them to silence their noise. 

They extinguished their flame, placed a kiss on their husband’s lips, and walked in front of the group, looking around and seeing no one. 

They quietly whispered a tracking spell under their breath, but still found no living beings around them other than animals. They let out a breath, before reigniting their flame, and letting their family follow them into the human’s lands.

Soon, they settled for the night in the woods, Remy closing their eyes and searching their magic storage for tents. They found the three they had packed years earlier when they, Emile, Virgil, and Diego all roamed the land together. They pulled with their magic, and took them out of the air much like they did with Roman’s sword months earlier.

They popped into existence, fully built and ready for slumber. Remy pursed their lips, looking up to see the sun rising just barely. 

They spoke, turning to the five who watched them awaiting directions, “We’ll have to leave by noon, so you all have about seven hours to sleep. Be ready for a long day tomorrow.”

They all nodded, Logan and Diego’s faces hard as rock and Roman, Emile, and Virgil all tired and anxious.

Remy sighed, pointing to their husband, “Emile and I’ll share a tent, Roman and Diego’ll share another, which leaves Virgil and Logan to one. Go.” They waved their hands for them to leave, before pursing their lips, “Roman, don’t go yet. We have to talk.”’

Roman froze and his face turned white, but he trudged over, ignoring the smirk Logan had before he turned and stormed into a tent. Virgil sighed, following the avian. Remy remembered the two arguing a lot years before, but the two eventually left as friends. Maybe they just need to go through that again, they hoped? They sighed, probably not, but it was too late to change their mind.

Remy kissed their husband before the avian crawled into his tent, and Diego’s harsh look faded enough to smile gently at Roman before he ducked into their tent.

They walked over, clasping Roman’s shoulder in their hand, “Come, talk with me, Roman.”

They walked twenty feet or so from the camp and sat on logs, and Roman’s hands trembled just as much as they did when Remy confronted him months before.

They sighed, “Roman, listen to me-”

Roan cut him off, tears pricking at his eyes but head facing directly toward the ground, “I didn’t do anything I swear, “ He whispered, scared, “I haven’t seen my family since I got here, I promise, I didn’t help them attack! I know it may be hard to trust me because I’m a human, but please believe me when I say-”

“Roman, calm down!” Emerson held his shoulders with their hands, making the boy look into their eyes confused, tears streaking down their panicked face.

“I don’t blame you, Roman. I told you before, I trust you. You’re one of us now.”

Roman blinked once, twice, before his face crumbled and he choked out a sob, his hands coming up to pull at his hair as he tried holding it in. Remy shushed him, wrapping their arms around his body. Roman may be the lost prince of an enemy kingdom, but he was just a boy. A boy whose family didn’t treat him right and made it difficult for him to trust.

Remy murmured, “I asked you to come only so I could see if you were okay, and I’m glad I did.”

Roman sniffled, pulling back and rubbing at his eyes, “I just…I know my f-the king h-hates Alimagians, but I didn’t know he’d do something like-like this.”

“I know, it’s okay, Ro.”

“It’s not okay! Emile’s family is gone, probably dead because of my family! Logan is right to hate me! He doesn’t know it yet but when he does, he’ll try to kill me again..and when he does, I don’t know if I’ll…”

Roman trailed off, looking away, and Remy’s blood turned to ice. They gathered the boy in their arms again, cupping the back of his head with his hand and holding him close to his chest. Roman froze before melting into them, sniffling into their shoulders. Minutes passed before they both let go, and Roman rubbed at his eyes again.

Remy held his hands in their own, and looked into his eyes, “Roman, please know that we love you. No matter your past, you are a good person, and we care about you. You’re one of us now okay?”

Roman swallowed and looked down at the ground before he half-hardheartedly nodded.

“Good,” Remy rustled his hair, and Roman didn’t even say anything against it, instead leaning into the touch.

“Go to bed now, Roman. We all have a long day tomorrow, and I’ll need your help to figure out the map I have.” They smiled and were happy to see a smaller one mirrored on Roman’s face as he whispered back, “Alright.”

The two stood up, Remy’s arm wrapped around the boy as they walked back to the camp they’d messily set up, and Remy hugged Roman tightly to the sound of loud snores echoing from each tent, and Roman didn’t pull away. Remy slapped his back as Roman walked into his tent, but Roman shot them a smile before he closed the flap. 

While Remy’s worries and fears didn’t go away, some were alleviated, and they were able to fall asleep for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	21. the merperson

His mind screamed at himself to swim faster, faster. He knew that they were following him, they had to. They let him go too easily. His entire family, they were all gone, taken away. They were probably going to die if he couldn’t do it. He had to save them, but how was he supposed to do it?

Faster, faster, faster! The voice in his head screamed louder, and his tail ached which each push it gave. But then, he panicked, snagging his tail on a boulder, which caught. He felt himself get pulled back and he screamed, convinced it was a human. 

He twisted to get out their hold but then his fin tore, and he screamed out in pain. He tried pushing himself to swim again, but his own blood started to seep into the water and his senses became confused. 

No, no! He had to keep swimming. He had to find Diego. He hadn’t seen him in years, but he knew he could help. He had to find him or he had no chance to live. Without Diego, he would die. 

He cried out, his echolocation pinging off the rocks around him and echoing for miles. Last time he’d seen Diego, he lived near a river, so he just hoped that he still did. 

All he had was hope, and Patton was holding onto it.

—

The group of six walked along the river still, Emile flying ahead to make sure their path was right, with Remy leading the group. Virgil and Diego tried their best to ignore Roman and Logan and tried talking about anything to drown them out, but the two kept bickering loudly. 

Virgil sighed, at least they weren’t as bad as the first night, where Logan kept quietly threatening to hurt Roman if he said anything wrong. Now, three days later, he was still angry, but not furious, and he allowed his anger to be taken out in biting comments instead of death threats. 

It was a start.

Roman gestured widely as he argued, “All I’m saying is that relying on the stars for directions nowadays is useless and ineffective! We have compasses now!”

Logan rolled his eyes, “Sure, but what would happen if you didn’t have a compass and became lost? You would be trapped without any idea where to go. By using the stars, you always know where to go since flukes aren’t as often made, human.”

Roman huffed, “Oh, keep arguing, Logan, it’s not like we have at least five compasses.”

Logan’s wings tensed and he unknowingly rose them as he angrily gestured, “But if we did not have them, the only thing we would have would be the stars!”

Roman rolled his eyes, waving his hand vaguely and walking ahead, leaving Logan behind, angry and annoyed.

Logan flapped his wings a few times in agitation before taking a breath, pinching his nose bridge as he walked back to the group, ignoring Roman.

For the next few hours, the two walked in almost complete silence, broken up only by quiet angry bickering with Virgil telling them to shut up from over his shoulder as he kept talking to Dee. 

Eventually, Roman and Logan walked up to them, and Virgil allowed Roman to hold his shoulder as they walked, ignoring the look Logan shot at Virgil.

Emile soon landed again and led the group with his partner. The two adults had been quietly leading them all, sometimes Roman helping Remy figure out where exactly they were heading, when Diego gasped, holding his hands to his head as he turned to the river.

Remy turned towards him, their eyebrows furrowed, “You okay, Dee?”

Diego’s jaw stayed open as he listened to a sound it seemed like only he could hear, and the entire group gathered around him.

Virgil asked, “Diego? What do you hear?”

Diego looked up to the dragon, his eyes wet and glossy as his lips shook, “Patton, he’s hurt, I’ve got to go, don’t leave here!”

Diego pulled away from his parents and the teenagers encircling him and he ran into the roaring river, his clothes melting away and his legs turning into a golden fishtail as he swam quickly downstream.

Emile yelled his name down the river, but Diego was already too far away to hear.

Roman looked over to Remy, asking confused, “Wasn’t Patton that one friend he had when he was a child?”

Remy hummed in response, sitting down in an overturned look as they replied, “I think. He doesn’t talk about him much, I’ve never met the kid, but they were close. It hurt both of them when Patton left, so they hadn’t seen each other in years, but I guess that Diego heard him.”

“How?”

“Echolocation, maybe. I’m not sure, I’m not a merperson, but they can communicate through large expanses of land. Specifics don’t matter much right now, better just relax here for a bit before we’re off again.” 

They looked up at the sky to see the sun about to set, and they pursued their lips, “We’re gonna camp here, it’s almost night. Emile?” They called out, asking his opinion.

Emile pursed his lips as well but nodded, “We’re waiting for Diego anyway, waste of time to not take advantage of it.” He waved his hand to the three teenagers, “Can one of you collect firewood while another starts one? The one left out will help me fish while Remy sets up the tents.”

Logan immediately huffed into the woods, and Roman began setting a place to create the fire. Virgil looked at Roman, jaw open at how fast he started, and Roman only winked in his direction, “Go fish, dragon-boy.”

He rolled his eyes, following Emile to the river’s bed and allowing magic to fill his hands, peering down and seeing fish swimming fast. This’ll be fun.

–

Diego beat his tail against the water, swimming as fast as he could. He hadn’t heard that sound in years, but immediately recognized it as the one Patton had taught him. Patton had always said that he’d only use it when he needed him or he was in danger, so Diego’s blood ran cold as he swam closer and closer. 

His knives were still on his hips attached to his belt in their sheaths. Whenever he shifted with them on, they stayed on him, so he never worried about being without them. He might actually need to use them now, so he was glad.

Patton called out again, this one edged with more fear than before. Diego called back in a reply, letting the other boy know he was coming and he kept swimming, the gills on his sides taking in oxygen quickly. 

“Diego!”

Patton yelled, panicked, having heard his response and knowing he was close. Soon, Diego came across the merperson, thrashing wildly on the silt of the river, his tail caught.

“Pat, I’m here, I’m here!”

Diego grabbed his arm to stop his thrashing, and Patton froze looking up at him, eyes red with tears unseen and mouth agape.

“Diego!” Patton tried throwing himself into Diego’s arms but failed, his tail not letting him move. Patton cried out in pain and started thrashing again, but Diego held him down, “It’s okay, calm down!”

Patton shook his head, his eyes wide with fear, “No, no, Diego! We can’t calm down! We have to swim away!”

Diego moved to pick up the rock holding Patton down, but turned, confused at his words, “What do you mean, why are you trying to get away?”

Patton sobbed, “Please, Diego, we have to go.”

“Okay, okay, Patton.” Diego raised his hands to calm him down, “Come with me then, my family is traveling away from the forest, we’re getting away from the attacks.”

Patton swallowed, pausing before asking, “Are you going to the human’s land?”

Diego winced, “We’re already there, Patton.”

The boy whimpered, but then nodding, “Okay, I trust you, Diego, I’ve missed you and I’m not letting you go so soon.”

Diego softly smiled, “I missed you too, now let me help you.”

Patton whimpered again, holding his arms tight to his chest before nodding, “Be careful.”

“I will.”

Diego swam to the silver tail’s end, and slowly lifted a large rock that had pinned the fin to the bottom of the river. Diego winced, if he hadn’t heard Patton, he probably would’ve had to rip out his fin, probably tearing it apart. 

He shook his head, ignoring the thoughts and moving the rock off the tail, placing it about a foot away and dropping it down with a huff. The current moved it a few inches, but it hugged the sand tightly and didn’t move again.

Patton cried out as his fin touched the water, the sting overwhelming, but he sighed out, “Thank you,” Grateful he was free.

Diego reached out his hand to the sitting merperson, and he took it, wincing as he swam upright and hugged his friend tight. Diego paused for a moment before returning it, swinging him around with a shout of happiness.

“I missed you, Patton.”

Patton kissed his cheek, pulling away with a soft smile, his deep grey eyes wide and not as scared as before.

“I missed you too, Dee-dee.”

Diego snorted, beginning to swim towards where he left his family while holding Patton’s hand. Patton winced, but swam.

“It’s been a long time, Patton, where’d you go?”

“My pod had to move on, we’d stayed too long and the water was getting cold again. I tried visiting again the next year, but you were gone.”

Diego wryly grinned, “Yea, I uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck, “I ran away after another kid caught me pulling out my scales.”

Patton gasped, and he touched the silver scales dotting his cheeks with his free hand, “Why would you do that? You didn’t have any scales when I saw you last.”

“They started growing in after you left, and I had to get rid of them or else I could…ya know…be killed.”

Patton flinched, “Oh.” His voice wobbled.

Diego changed the subject, “So, Patton, why are you on the run?”

Patton hummed, and he opened his mouth to speak but only a weak croak came out. He shook his head, quietly responding, “My pod was attacked by soldiers.”

Diego froze, turning to his friend, who looked to the ground, his lip quivering.

“What?”

He sniffled, “They caught us off-guard, we-we were asleep, and they attacked. My mother made me swim away, but they…they were all captured. I-I don’t know-”

Patton hiccuped, and he began rubbing his eyes. Diego hugged him again, and Patton hugged him back, “I was trying to find you for the last day, I knew you’d make it better, and you already have.”

Diego smiled sadly, “I’m sorry that happened to you, Patton. But I promise we’ll get your family back.”

Patton looked up from underneath his eyelashes, “Really?”

Diego nodded, mouth pursed, “Another person in my group, an avian called Emile, who takes care of me and my friends, had his village destroyed a few days ago, and he only escaped with his nephew, Logan, but his parents were missing. We’re going to find them, and we’ll find your family too.”

Patton pursed his lips nervously before swallowing and nodding, “Okay, Dee. I believe you.”

“Good.” He smiled, and he continued swimming, leading his friend back to the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	22. the introduction

Virgil tensed his fingers, and a net of bright purple magic spread between his hands. He laughed, throwing it into the water, but scaring the fish away. **  
**

“Dammit,” He cursed.

“Language,” Emile halfheartedly called out as he too tried to catch fish.

Virgil grumbled, but kept trying to catch them. They swam too damn quick. When they were home, the fish were lazy enough that he’d catch ten in a minute, but now he struggled to even catch one. Damn humans and their weird land.

He looked over his shoulder and looked at Roman, their sole human, and a smile forced itself onto his face. 

The boy sat in front of the firewood, building a steady fire, with just some pieces of flint Remy had pulled out from the air. Virgil hadn’t perfected the technique yet, but he was close, so soon he too could pull things from thin air after stashing them away.

Virgil swore the fire had leapt into Roman’s eyes because it seemed to be swimming in them. Roman caught his eye and gave him a small grin, sweat dripping from his forehead. Virgil reddened, but Roman didn’t see it due to Virgil’s copper skin. Virgil gave a shallow wave before turning back to the river, and without looking, throwing a larger net into the water.

He felt a weight in it, and excitedly turned to see the fish he caught, but a laugh built in his chest when he only saw a large golden tail in it. He cackled, using his magic to pull up a cursing Diego out of the water. 

“For fuck’s sake, Virgil!” He yelled, and Emile jumped, looking at Diego sternly.

“Virgil, put him down!”

“I got it, I got it!” Virgil dropped the magic, causing Diego to fall crashing into the river with a large splash. Unluckily, Logan had just walked over to see what the commotion was about and got soaked. 

He tensed, his wings puffing up around him and he harshly glared at Virgil, who just smirked in response.

Diego walked out the river, having shifted into his human form, wringing out his curly hair as he too glared at Virgil, who just shrugged. Diego sighed harshly, and he dropped his hand into the water, and a much darker one grabbed back. 

Virgil and Logan jumped back as another person walked out of the water, but this one was taller than Diego, with dark brown skin and short dreads. He had round glasses framing his nervous face and a loose long sleeve tunic and pants hanging off his form.

“Everyone, meet Patton, my old friend.”

Patton shyly waved, still nervous from the scene Virgil had caused, and Virgil immediately made his way over toward the beautiful merperson, who’s hair and pant bottoms dripped with river water.

“Patton, is it?”

Patton swallowed, nodding and sticking his hand out, “Nice to meet you.”

Virgil smiled anxiously, shaking his hand, “You too. Sorry for scaring you, I was just messing with Diego. I’m Virgil.”

Patton smiled, nodding again, “It’s okay. I’m glad that Diego has friends that he’s comfortable with.”

Diego rolled his eyes from behind Patton, but his smile stayed.

“Emile?” He called out, “Come meet Pat.”

The avian flew over quickly, and he immediately wrapped the nervous merperson in a hug.

“Oh, it’s lovely to finally meet you, Patton! We’ve heard dozens of stories about you!”

Patton froze upon first touch, but quickly melted and returned the hug, responding when Emile had let go, “Nice to meet you too. Diego told me a bit about you too.”

Diego collapsed his shoulder gently, looking up at the adult avian, “Emile, Patton’s pod was attacked by humans yesterday and he doesn’t have anywhere to go. Could he stay with us?”

Emile paused, pursing his lips for a second before shrugging, “I think it’s fine. Remy’ll think so too, but I’ll make sure with them first. But don’t worry, I’ll put up a fight if they say no. You’re safe here, Patton.”

Patton’s eyes welled up, and he wiped them on his light blue sleeve, “Thank you, sir.”

“Sir? Just call me Emile, dear, everyone else does.”

Emile gently ruffled Patton’s hair, before turning away and walking towards Remy, who had had an eyebrow raised and was watching them all since Virgil had caught Diego.

Logan walked over, pushing his glasses up with a finger and looking over Patton.

He hummed, nodding in his direction, his wings relaxing on his back as he noticed the scales freckling his cheeks, “Ah, another merperson, I see. My name is Logan, yours?”

“Patton.” Patton seemed entranced by his blue and black wings, a bright smile on his face as he looked at the feathers, “Wow, your wings sure are pretty, Logan.”

Logan flushed red, eyes growing wide as Virgil snickered. Logan glared at him before sputtering out, “W-well, thank you, Patton,” quickly nodding his head and walking back to his uncle.

Diego snorted, knocking shoulders with his happily puzzled friend, “Well, he likes you more than Roman.”

“Roman?” Patton asked.

Virgil side-eyed Diego, and he mouthed ‘human’ before nodding his head towards Roman. Diego’s mouth went dry.

“Ah, well, uh. You see that boy over there, Pat?”

Diego pointed to Roman, who still tended the fire and smiled in their direction as he saw them looking, his eyebrows furrowing slightly at the sight of Patton But, he just shrugged and waved.

Patton smiled, waving back. “Is he a fire mage?”

Diego’s lips pursed, “No, not really. You see…well…”

Virgil coughed, “He’s a human.”

Patton’s eyes grew wide, “Really?”

Glaring at Virgil, Diego said quickly, “Yes, but he’s not bad. He’s been staying with us for a while after he was hurt by some people who tried to kill him, and he’s actually really sweet and wouldn’t eve-”

Patton touched Diego’s shoulder gently, “It’s okay.”

“What?” Diego reeled back a bit, confused.

“If you trust him, then I trust him. Not all humans are bad.”

Virgil mumbled, “Tell that to Logan,” but Diego ignored him, hugging his friend tightly, “Oh, I missed you, Patton.”

Patton giggled, kissing his cheek and hugging back, “I missed you too.”

They didn’t see Virgil and Roman’s matching furrowed eyebrows, and how Roman began staring more intently into the fire and how Virgil coughed and began making his way over to the fire, mouth pursed tight with a growing pit of anxiety in his stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	23. the insecurity

The next day, after they had all traveled miles upon miles, they stopped once more. Patton had slept with Diego and Roman the night before and was with Logan and Virgil that night.

Virgil had found a different job with helping Remy unload, and somehow, with Virgil no longer trying to catch fish with Emile, the avian managed to actually capture much more. They roasted over the fire after being gutted and cleaned, and Roman still sat in front of the fire turning the spit. 

He did all he could to ignore Diego and Patton, who were laughing and sitting much too close together. Roman’s heart ached in his chest, and his throat felt like it was closing, but he ignored them, focusing on the fire.

Logan had returned from his tent where he had relaxed since gathering the firewood and joined the three sitting by the fire. He gave the human a glare and sat as far away from him as he could, but Roman could handle that. 

Virgil soon joined the two, huffing as he slumped in between them. Roman wanted to rub his back, ask him what was troubling him, but he couldn’t, having to focus on the slightly unstable spit. 

Logan ended up doing it instead, and Roman’s glare into the fire grew stronger and his lips pursed. He didn’t listen to Virgil’s words, instead ignoring him as much as he was Diego and turning the spit.

Roman was mad, but at who, at what he didn’t know. Roman was always aware he wasn’t needed, but now, with everyone split off in groups of two, it was even more aware. 

Virgil and Logan bickered, but not as Roman and Logan did. These two actually seemed to enjoy each other’s company when they weren’t fighting over nonsense. 

He hated that Diego and Patton being close made him upset, and he forced himself to swallow his hurt. Roman remembered how when Diego had told Roman of his past that Patton was mentioned, and that he was his first actual friend or something along those lines, but he wasn’t expecting to meet the merperson.

Patton was very nice, very polite, and eager to help, and Roman couldn’t even let his anger out on him. He didn’t deserve it, but Roman was still frustrated.

He had finally found friends, people his mother had tried getting him to make for years, and that he repeatedly failed to make due to them being afraid of his status, and he finally found people who didn’t know of it. He thought that maybe now he’d find his people, but it’s clear to him now that Diego and Virgil only gave him attention, and hugs, and cuddled him, and tried to kiss him because there was no one else to choose from.

Roman let out a quiet bitter chuckle, and Diego glanced at him, confused, before his eyes grew wide, “Roman, the fire!”

Roman shook his head, blinking in confusion, and found the fire had grown high and it was now overtaking the fish. He yelped, quickly lifting the stick holding all of the fish away from the flame and allowing Diego to splash river water onto the fire, not extinguishing it but calming it down significantly. 

Roman’s face grew bright red as Remy and Emile walked over from where they discussed the map, and looked confused onto the scene.

“What just happened?”

“I…I um…”

Roman looked at the stick and was glad to see only one of the fish actually was burnt at all. It seemed as if the fire managed to avoid the majority of them, but the one it had burnt was burnt enough the taste would almost definitely taste like coal.

“It’s okay, Rem, the fire just got a bit high but the fish are fine, right, Ro?” Virgil cocked an eyebrow, and everyone turned to Roman, who slowly nodded, his face still burning.

“One of them isn’t, but I’ll take it. I’m sorry.”

Logan rolled his eyes, grumbling, “Just like a human to mess up even cooking.”

Roman pursed his lips, looking at his friends in hope of some defense, but they laughed instead, and Roman felt mortified. Virgil grinned at Roman, nudging his shoulder once he saw his expression, “Aww, it’s okay, Ro. We all know I’m the chef in the group, but we’ll keep you for your fire-making anyways.”

The group snickered a bit more, and Roman gave Virgil a tense smile that he seemed to believe, turning away from him to focus back on Logan, and Roman let the fake smile fall. He took the fire off the stick, placing each fish on the indestructible plates Remy had pulled from the air, and he handed them out to everyone. 

They all thanked him, though Logan did so begrudgingly, and they all began to eat. Roman halfheartedly picked at his fish, the meat tasting like ash for two different reasons. But still Roman pushed it down, giving Remy a short nod when they asked about directions and attempting to clear all of them out. 

Roman rushed his meal, and quickly stood up, mumbling how he was going to wash up at the river before bed. Virgil and Patton wished him goodnight, while Diego just rolled his eyes with a smile. Logan ignored him.

Roman sighed as he dunked his head into the river, using his fingers to comb out the tangles, no soap to be used. He quickly stripped and washed, and then huffed as he used his shirt to dry himself, walking back the camp without it on and wrapped around his hair in a mock towel.

Patton turned to look at him as he walked up, and his grey eyes widened, and his cheeks darkened, and Virgil just whistled, looking up and down at his chest.

He stiffened and blushed, but smiled honestly for the first time in an hour, before walking into his and Diego’s tent alone.

Roman laid under a thin blanket, his arm under his head as a faux pillow. Roman didn’t like camping. The last time he camped, he was eight, and his mother had finally convinced his father for their family to spend time together in the wilderness. His father was busy and stayed at the castle, but Roman didn’t care. Remus huffed but quickly forgot as Mother let him fish freely in the river.

There were guards there but Roman didn’t care, they stayed off in the background most of the day, but Mother gave them each their own meal, and they thanked her kindly for them. Roman was upset that he didn’t think of it, but his other only chuckled, kissing his forehead before leading all three of them into a tent she had set up herself.

Roman bit his lip as he remembered how his mother had carded her fingers through his hair, promising she’d always protect him no matter what, that she’d always be there. She promised that wherever a fire burned, she’d be able to see him and keep him safe, and Roman believed her.

Roman dreamed that night of flying with his brother, Mother laughing and waving to them as fire flew from her hands and caressed them.

But then, months later, the fire did the opposite of protecting him, instead consuming his mother when she was inside of her horse barn, eating her and the horses up and leaving Roman behind.

Roman hated how fire still comforted him after what it had done to his mother, but he still believed a child’s wish of the fire protecting him, and his mother’s ghost watching from the flickering flames.

Roman heard Diego open the flap of the tent, and Roman yawed, turning towards him. Diego jumped, looking sheepish, but Roman just waved him off.

“I was already awake, you’re alright.”

“Oh, good.” Diego laid down next to Roman and smiled lightly, burying his scaled side of his face into Roman’s chest, and quickly getting comfortable. Roman tensed when he first laid down but relaxed the longer the merperson was in his arms.

Roman didn’t know how he felt towards Diego and Virgil anymore. Did he like them as friends, or even more? What would his father say if he found out his firstborn son was attracted to men? And not only just men, Alimagian men? Why did his heart flicker like a spark when Logan looked at him? Why were Patton’s smiles hitting him so hard?

He didn’t care. Roman knew his life didn’t matter as much as the six Alimagians’ he had grown to care about. Roman silently and bitterly laughed, he even cared for Logan, who hated him with all of his heart. Roman was weak, a coward for not fighting back at the cottage days ago.

Roman would sacrifice his life in an instant for any of them and was prepared for that exact thing to happen. Maybe soon, and maybe after.

But he’d do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	24. the nightmare

“Alright everyone, that’s enough for today!”

Emile landed in front of the group, Logan grumpily following behind him. The two had been leading the group for the last hour or so after Logan complained of his wins feeling cramped. The look on Roman’s face as he watched the two fly into the sky was hilarious.

Logan smirked at the memory, but he shook his head, listening to Emile speak.

“We made quite a bit of progress today, enough that I feel good to say that we’ll arrive at the village by tomorrow if we do the same.”

Logan’s mouth pursed, knowing they’re going to stay with humans, but all of the others seemed…excited? Logan couldn’t fathom why. 

Humans took away his mother and father when he was just a fledgling, and then they attacked his family for a second time just a week ago. How can he be comfortable around Roman when his people were the ones to destroy his life?

Logan was (begrudgingly) aware it wasn’t Roman’s fault and he didn’t have anything to do with the attack, but he’s still dangerous, and Logan didn’t trust him. 

“We’re splitting up you five in the tents again, but this time, we’re changing it.”

Emile gave a pointed glance at Virgil and Logan, who had gotten into a loud argument the night before while everyone else was asleep and it ended with everyone awake and purple magic shooting into the air.

Diego and Remy were worried that the magic notified humans, but no, they were lucky. Logan felt his face redden at the mention, and he looked away even as Remy snickered.

“Roman, Logan, you two go in a tent, Pat, Dee, Virgil’s with you.”

Logan’s eyes widened and his brow furrowed and he opened his mouth too loudly to oppose this, but Roman cut him to it, “Um…Emile, Logan and I do not exactly…get along. Are you sure…?”

Emile held up a hand, “The two of you can get along for one day, no questions, okay?”

Roman glanced at Logan, who sneered back, and he quickly turned away with a sigh, “Alright. I’ll start on the fire then.”

Emile hugged Roman tightly, and let the boy go to do his job.

Logan walked up to his uncle, “Emile, you seriously cannot-”

“Logan,” The older avian sighed, clasping his nephew’s shoulder, “The two of you are going to have to get along someday, and you refuse to even speak with him. Just…try, please?”

Logan shrugged his hand off, wings raising as he glared at his uncle, “How can you still trust him? His people attacked, killed ours! My parents, Anton, they’re dead! I-I held his body, you held it! How can you pretend it didn’t happen? Like it doesn’t matter? Like they don’t?”

Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, and he roughly rubbed his face with his black tunic. Emile’s eyes filled with sadness, “Logan, I know how you feel. I’m hurting, I’m hurting as much as you, but I’m pushing through it. They would want their deaths to make a difference, and I’m not going to scorn them by letting my pain consume myself. “ 

Emile kissed his forehead, “Please, Logan, don’t let it consume you.”

Logan pursed his lips and stood for a moment before looking into his uncle’s eyes, his own filling quickly with water and shaking his head, flying into the woods to get firewood without a word. Emile sighed, running his hands through his brown hair and roughly tugging on it before flying towards the river.

When Logan came back, he threw the wood in front of Roman’s feet, ignoring the human’s pained yelp as he stomped into their now shared tent. He came out to eat, but rushed back without a word, his upset aura making the others stay away.

Roman crept into their tent an hour later, having stayed away as long as he could, talking to the others until they too went to sleep. Logan lay awake, but tucked away, as far away from the other blanket as possible. Roman sighed but didn’t say anything, laying down and trying to fall asleep.

Roman only took a few minutes before he slept, and Logan stared at the ceiling, his lips pursed in an attempt for them to not quiver.

He missed his fathers, Sloane and Corbin. They were all he knew, and now he didn’t even know if they were alive. Emile should be furious, but he’s just numb. Numb like Anton. Logan feels bile rise in his throat at the memory of his friend, his best friend, dead in his arms.

Logan shook his head, refusing to think about that. He couldn’t…it hurt. Logan sat up, his hand knocking back and forth in the air as he attempted to breathe. Logan knew he wasn’t having a panic attack, but he was close. A minute later, he calmed down, and he gulped air out of the tent, his hand slowing but still hanging in the air.

Logan sighed, letting his hand fall as the rest of him did, laying down far away from the human and falling into a restless sleep.

–

_The fire raged all around, and Logan screamed. Emile stared up at Logan, bleeding. His wings were broken and warped, his eyes empty and mouth open. Saliva pooled in his mouth and his chest wouldn’t move._

_The fire raged all around and Logan screamed, clutching his uncle and sobbing. He turned, as he yelled for help, and saw Remy face down dead next to him, their lilac hair a mess on the dirt, the fire slowly consuming them. Logan stood up, running, and saw Diego and Patton holding each other, their beautiful scales popping off their burning faces._

_The fire raged all around and Logan saw Virgil, who crawled closer and closer to Logan. He stepped back, and Virgil screamed out, looking at Logan with fear, and he tried shifting into a dragon, but he was too weak, and the fire got him too._

_Logan felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Roman, who looked down at his face with fire burning in his eyes. The fire raged all around. Blood dribbled from his mouth and flames followed it._

_“I didn’t mean it.”_

_Logan screamed as Roman pressed his lips to Logan’s, and Logan was consumed by his flames._

_The fire raged all around._

–

Logan screamed as he sat up in the tent, his wings spread out wings and flapping wildly as he hyperventilated. Roman shot up, looking around panicked and blearily, before spotting Logan. Logan held his fist to his mouth as his wings beat furiously, his sobs muffled. The air was getting rough in the tent, but Roman still scooted in front of Logan and clasped his hands.

“It-it’s okay, Logan, it’s just me, it’s okay.”

“No, no, no,” He sobbed, shaking his head but not pulling away from Roman’s hands, instead clutching them tighter.

Roman patiently shushed him, carefully wrapping his arms around Logan and holding him close. Logan struggled for a moment before going limp, his wings falling at his back. Diego had run to their tent and had the flap open, his eyes darting back and forth, but Roman just waved him away quickly. 

Diego’s brow furrowed, but he looked at Logan up and down, and his eyes grew sympathetic and understanding. He nodded, and Roman heard him whispering to the others outside. Roman ignored them, focusing on Logan.

“I’m not going to hurt you, no one will.”

“They’re dead, they’re all dead. Anton was murdered, Roman, he was murdered and no one cares! My fathers, they’re gone, everyone’s gone…”

Roman cupped the back of his head in his hand, and he softly whispered, “I’m so sorry, Logan. An-Anton didn’t deserve that. I’m so sorry humans…my people did that to you, but I will never hurt you.”

Logan shook in his arms, “I…I don’t trust you.”

Roman’s face grimaced at the sting, but he still held Logan, “I know, I’m going to keep trying to show you thought. I promise.”

“…I believe you.”

Logan’s breath had calmed down, and the tears had slowed, but he still held onto Roman. Roman was the first to pull back, and Logan’s face was flushed with red as he wiped his face. 

Roman held onto his shoulders and had the avian look into his eyes, “I don’t know much, Logan, but I believe your dads are alive. Emile said they were gone when you went to find them?”

Logan shallowly and slowly nodded, and Roman let out a breath.

“I know enough about my kingdom’s military habits, and I know that during conquests they don’t often take prisoners and they leave the dead. If your parents weren’t there they probably escaped. I don’t know when, but you’ll see them again, Logan, I promise.”

Logan shoved the human off of him and took a deep breath, “You’re saying many promises about things you don’t know, human.”

Roman gave a weak smile, “I know, but believe me, okay?”

Logan pursed his lips and gave a pause before nodding, “I don’t trust you, Roman, but I’ll try.”

He smiled again, this one stronger, “Thank you, Logan. I really appreciate that.” He yawned, “Do you think you can go back to bed?”

He bit his lip, “Maybe.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

Logan scrunched his face and felt himself blush, “Could…you make sure the fire is extinguished?”

“Of course,” Roman squeezed his shoulder, before crawling outside the tent. He was immediately ambushed by the rest of the group, but Logan didn’t care enough to listen. He laid back down, and held his arms close to himself, burying his head in his quilt and letting his wings blanket him.

Minutes later, he heard Roman enter and sigh, much like at sundown, but now Logan wasn’t as angry or upset. Roman laid down again and quickly fell asleep, and Logan stretched his black and blue wing out, letting the tips of it brush against Roman’s arm. Logan breathed constantly, hearing all the others go back to bed. 

Logan didn’t trust Roman completely, but he did enough to know he wasn’t actively in danger around him. Logan was glad that Roman and the people he still cared about were still safe, and maybe one day, Logan thought, Roman could be added to that list too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so uhhh how’d y’all feel about the first kiss in this story to be in a dream and also not real? because it’s gonna take a long ass time for them to actually kiss, so buckle your seatbelts, kiddos.
> 
> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	25. the glamours

The next day, having traveled for just over three hours, they all stopped. They were about a mile or so away from the human village, Remy had said, and they had to get their ‘disguises’ together.

Roman snickered as he saw Virgil glare at a hooded cloak, made to cover his face so no one in the village could see his ears or his black markings. 

His green eyes could possibly pass for human, but pointed ears was an automatic notifier of Alimagians. Remy was going to put a glamour on everyone but Roman to hide theirs, but Virgil still groaned that he had to wear the cloak.

“Vee, it’s just smarter this way. I could cover up your marks, but it’s a spell that goes away much quicker than others, plus if we all went in wearing cloaks, it would be obvious we’re different. You’re not an ace with the spell yet, which is fine, but you’d be in danger of it melting away even faster. Plus, you used to love wearing black and hoods, don’t pretend you didn’t.”

Virgil’s face heated at the last statement and snatched the black and purple cloak from Remy’s hands. Remy smiled, before walking over to Diego. Virgil snapped at Roman to shut up, who ignored him and continued to laugh.

During that, Logan and Emile were trying to think of ways to conceal their very large and obvious wings from the humans at the village.

Patton quipped, “Could you just hold them really tight to your sides and then put your clothes on top of them?”

Emile winced, “Well, that’s probably what we will have to be doing, but it does hurt to keep our wings held tights for long amounts of time. If we can’t find any other option, that’s probably what we’ll have to do.”

Logan nodded along, adding at the end, “We only have an hour or so to get ready before we set off again, so he’s, that very much is what we’re going to do.”

Patton hummed, smiling at the avians. 

Roman piped up, “Couldn’t Virgil or Remy just put a glamour over your wings so no one can see them?”

Logan opened his mouth to respond, but Emile spoke before him, “The glamour only hides objects to the eye, they are still very much there. Virgil and Remy are probably going to glamour our wings to be invisible, but we’re still going to have to “bind” them away, so to speak.”

As they spoke about glamours, Remy was performing one on Diego’s face, as to hide away his golden scales. They snapped their fingers to finish it off and in an instant, it was like his scales never had existed.

Remy smirked, “Done,” obviously proud of their work. Diego rolled his eyes, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth but disappearing when he looked back at Remy, eyebrow now cocked.

Diego looked to Emile, “Em, can you see my scales at all?”

Emile turned his head away from Patton and over to him, eyes squinting as a grin broke out on his face, “None that I can see.”

“Okay, great,” Remy said, “Patton, do you need a glamour on your face too?”

Patton looked back at them thoughtfully, only a few seconds passed before he answered, “I think so, but if you can’t, don’t worry about it, they’re not too bright and I can just say that I have some makeup on or something like that!”

Remy grinned in response, “It’s no problem, Patty.”

They waved their hand over his face, and his silver scales seemed to melt into his deep brown skin. They would’ve definitely stood out, Remy chuckled.

Meanwhile, Logan groaned, stretching his wings out one last time before he sighed, pulling them close to his body, and pulling a looser black tunic on top of them. He hissed in pain, but continued, tying a tie around his neck and throwing a cloak over his shoulders.

Roman’s eyebrows furrowed and he took a step towards the avian, who’s eyes immediately darted to the boy, narrowing.

The two hadn’t spoken much since last night, when Logan sobbed in his arms and Roman made many promises he wasn’t sure he could keep, but Roman knew they were on the right track to getting along. 

Still, he wasn’t sure why he expected Logan to be comfortable around him so fast. He knew that Diego’s coming around to him so quickly wasn’t common, but he had hoped it would be the same with Logan. But, no. Instead, the vain was just as, and maybe even more hostile than before, and Roman had no idea why.

Roman froze, his face reddening and he quickly turned away towards Virgil, “So, um, Virge, when are we leaving again?”

“Soon, Ro, “ Virgil grumbled, hating having to hide most of his body from humans. Roman smiled, wrapping an arm around the dragon, who looked up at him and allowed his annoyance to melt away. 

He leaned his head on the human’s shoulder and sighed. Roman laid his own head on top of Virgil's, and kissed his forehead gently.

“Alright, is everyone ready?”

The two turned around together, and Roman’s eyes went wide. They all looked…human. Emile and Logan’s wings were just gone, Remy’s long purple hair and lilac eyes had become almost black in color. Diego’s golden eyes and streaks in his hair that Roman loved had both turned a light brown, and his and Patton’s scales had all but melted away into their skin.

“So, Roman,” Emile smiled, “Do we look human enough?”

Roman was frozen for a moment, his brain still processing their changes, but he nodded, a small grin growing on his face, “You guys look incredible, no one’ll be able to tell. If I didn’t know any of you, I’d think you were human.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Remy did a few shallow bows, a bright grin mirroring Roman’s grin on their face.

“But before we go,” Remy walked next to Roman and held the sword they’d gifted to him a month earlier. They closed their eyes and mumbled under their breath and the sword disappeared. They clasped Roman’s shoulder after opening their eyes, “The sword is still there in its sheath, but just to be safe, we’re going to hide it. If a…situation arises, use it, but be careful.”

Remy gave him a look of ‘don’t let anyone here find out your identity’, and Roman just gave a small smile, nodding.

“Great, now let’s get going. We’re going on the road now, boys, and be careful not to discuss anything incriminating?”

“Of course,” Logan smiled.

Minutes later, as they walked on the road, Logan walked at Roman’s side, asking loudly, “So, where did you get your sword, Roman?”

People they were passing on the road gave them strange looks but kept walking. Roman shot Logan a glare, but answered passively, “It was a gift.”

“From?”

“Remy, we were sword fighting and they gifted me this one because I didn’t have my own.”

“You can sword fight?”

Roman rolled his eyes, looking at Logan completely annoyed, “Of course I can, Logan. Why else would I have a damn sword?”

Emile looked back over his shoulder, “Boys, please.”

“Uncle,” Logan looked appalled, but his smirk stayed, “We’re just having a nice conversation.”

Emile sighed, shaking his head and turning back again, rubbing at his wings pinned to his back.

“So, where did you learn?”

“Mm?” Roman raised a single eyebrow in his direction, barely turning to him.

“Fighting with swords, where?”

“With an instructor in my village. He used to be a knight and so I was taught in all of the ways the military uses swords plus his own personal techniques. Is that enough?”

Virgil, Diego, and Patton had started listening, and Diego looked impressed while Virgil just snickered at the scene Logan was trying to start. Patton was just happily listening to the story.

“Why haven’t you told this story ever before? Isn’t trust important?”

Roman clenched his fists, turning to Logan, whose eyes grew wide after seeing Roman actually angry, “I have spoken about it, Logan,” He spat out the avian’s name, Remy and Emile turning around hearing the commotion, “Remy knows because they asked. I don’t talk about it because I don’t enjoy speaking about my past. Something we can relate to?”

Logan’s face turned furious, and his shoulders raised, and if his wings were out, they’d be wide open. He opened his mouth to yell back, but Diego stepped in between them, “Okay! Okay, we’re calming down!”

“Lovely,” Roman grumbled, shoving Logan away from him and walking towards the front of the group by Remy and Emile, who turned back to the map.

“Why did you do that?” Virgil asked his friend, exasperatedly.

Logan blinked a few times, before shrugging lightly, his mouth pursed, “I didn’t do anything, Virgilius,” Virgil jumped at his full name, “I was just asking questions.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away ignoring everyone around him until they found the entrance to the village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


	26. the thieves

The group of seven walked into the village and the fear they had of being noticed melted away, as almost no one paid them the thought of mind, other than shopkeepers who tried to get them to see their products. **  
**

The marketplace was bustling, and so the addition of seven somewhat strange people wasn’t even noticeable.

Remy turned to them all, “Alright, kids, Emile and I will go to the inn and figure out rooms, meanwhile, you five entertain yourselves, I don’t care how. Just don’t, “They counted out on their fingers, ”Get arrested, expose yourselves, or start any fights, alright?”

Patton nodded his head as the other four grumbled, annoyed.

“That’s good enough for me.”

As the adults walked away, Patton turned to his friends, “So, what’d you guys wanna do first?”

Logan hummed, “Find some food.” while Diego muttered, “Steal some shit.”

Patton gasped astonished, “Diego!”

“What?” The boy asked, ”It wouldn’t hurt anyone!”

“It would in fact ‘hurt anyone’, specifically the shop owner and possibly you and the rest of us if you’re caught.” Logan pushed up his glasses with an eye roll. 

“Come on! V, Ro, you’re on my side, right?”

“I-” Roman cut himself off as Logan glared at him, daring him to answer. Roman paused for a moment, before grinning back, “Actually, I’m on Diego’s side.”

Virgil smirked, leaning his elbow on Roman’s shoulder, “3-2, Lo.”

Logan’s shoulders hunched, and Roman was positive that if he had his wings out that they would be fully extended.

“Fine. Yo three…hooligans do whatever you please. Patton and I will do something else.”

Patton bit his lip, “Okay. Don’t get in trouble and meet us here in an hour!”

Diego grabbed Virgil and Roman by the arms, leading them away as he called over his shoulder, “We won’t,” before flashing a grin at the other two, “We will.”

* * *

“Excuse me, ma’am, how much would this necklace happen to cost?”

A woman in her middle age turned towards the boy, an eyebrow cocked as he looked at the necklace. It was a boring pink heart, shining with glass crystals embedded into the metal, “A few hundred, why?”

Roman hummed, “Well, I was thinking of buying something like it for my love, but I don’t know if she’d be happy with me spending just that much, how much would that one in the back be?”

He pointed at none in particular, and she turned to see, the heart necklace in her hand. Quickly, Diego popped up and grabbed two pendants, one with a serpent and a purple dragon, that she had laid out far away from Roman.

As she turned back, Diego popped down, handing the necklaces to Virgil who smirked from where he sat under the table.

“Which one?”

The woman asked around her cigar, holding up a necklace of a beautiful pale blue fish sculpted from glass and a small bird molded from thin metal. Roman’s eyes lit up, “How much are each?”

“Ehhh, twenty gold for them both.”

“I’ll take it!

“Great,” She huffed, bagging the two and holding her hand out. Roman fished exactly twenty pieces of gold from his pouch and handed them to her. She counted them out and nodded, handing Roman his purchase. He grinned and walked away, Diego following him.

They had gotten around fifteen feet away when they heard a screech, “Who are YOU and what are you doing under my table?!”

Virgil bolted out, the necklaces dangling from his fingers as he ran, a large grin plastered on his face. Roman and Diego began chasing after him, laughing as they went.

No guards followed them, there were none in the village. Roman hadn’t felt as free as he did then in years. The three boys eventually stopped running, right at the meet-up point. 

Diego bent over to catch his breath while Virgil loudly cackled, tears running for his eyes and his free arm wrapped around his stomach. They both looked back up at Roman together, and Roman’s face grinned the same way their’s did. A pink flush lay on his cheeks, and he didn’t know what caused it, the running or their smiles.

“What’d you buy, Ro?”

“Just some necklaces, thought I’d give them to Pat and Lo.” He held up the bird and fish necklaces, and Virgil cackled, “Oh my god, Logan is going to hate that.”

“I know.”

Diego smirked, “Well, I got the dragon and the snake for us two, but I got something for you too, Ro.”

Roman cocked a brow, “Really.”

Diego nodded, “Yep,” Holding up a necklace of a small red crown, “Your boring ass deserves something special.”

Roman paled at the sight of the crown, but smiled anyway, “T-thanks, Dee.”

Diego handed Roman the necklace, and he shakily put it around his neck, hiding the crown under his shirt.

Diego and Virgil did the same, and as they did, Patton and Logan walked up, Patton happily eating an ice cream cone as Logan grumpily walked forward.

Patton waved, “Hi! Whaddya guys do?”

“We stole things.”

“Virgil!” Roman whisper-shouted as Patton paled.

“Really? Oh gosh, did you get in trouble? Oh no, are there any guards or anyone? Oh goodness, we’re-”

Diego stepped in, “Don’t worry, we were caught but we’re fine. There aren’t any guards or whatever, plus…” He motioned towards Roman with his hands.

“Oh, yes.” Roman held the necklaces out towards the two, “We got these for you.”’

Patton looked at them and then at Roman’s face, a smile splitting his face, “Really?”

Roman smiled, “Truly.”

Logan glared at the piece of jewelry, “Hmm. Fine, thank you, human.”

Roman gave a fake look of shock, “What do you mean human, Logan? Aren’t we all?”

Virgil snorted and Diego just rolled his eyes, ignoring Logan’s huff and Patton’s tired sigh. Roman cocked a grin,“It’s no problem, Logan,” And the avian rolled his eyes, turning away from him after slipping the necklace on.

“Oh good, you’re all still here!” Emile walked up towards the five, “We rented a house for the week, follow me!”

* * *

Hours later, the three thieves were sitting at the dining room table, as Emile lectured them, Logan and Patton standing in the corner watching. The glamours had worn off, and so Emile’s very rustled wings were very easy to notice.

“You did what now?” Emile asked, his eyebrows far up his forehead and eyes wide.

“It’s fine, all we did was steal some necklaces, Em.”

“It’s not fine, Diego! You all could’ve been arrested, and then what would’ve happened if your glamours wore off? You’d’ve been hurt, or killed!”

He pinched his brow, pacing back and forth, “Every time I ask you boys to follow any simple rules, they’re immediately broken.”

Roman, Virgil, and Diego all stared at the table in front of them, guilt bubbling like a potion in Roman’s stomach as Logan snickered in the corner.

“Oh and don’t you two be acting all high and mighty over there!” Emile turned to Patton and Logan, Patton looking just as guilty as Roman felt as the smirk melting off of Logan’s face.

Logan raised an eyebrow, “Why are we in trouble? We didn’t do anything, the three of them were the ones who stole.”

Remy placed a hand on their shoulders, “It’s because you didn’t stop them, guys.”

“B-but we attempted to! Votes were 3-2 and they were persistent so we decided to let them be!”

“We told you guys not to split up, and you’ve met Ro, he’s a push-over.”

Roman’s head shot up, “No, I’m not!”

Logan’s head swiveled over, “You do whatever someone tells you to, because you’re scared of them.”

Roman stood up, “No, I don’t!”

Logan’s wings rose high, “Yes, you do, you cowardice human!”

“Oh, that is it, bird-boy! I swear to-”

Emile stood, shouting and slamming their hand on the table, their winged spread even further and higher than Logan’s, “Enough! We will not fight at this table! We are going to be polite and not use other’s races as an insult! Do you understand, boys?”

Roman stared at him, his eyes narrowed, “Fine, we made a mistake, okay? We were bored, don’t drag Logan or Patton into it, they were doing the right thing. I’m going to my room.”

He stalked out the room, knocking his shoulder purposefully against Logan’s as he walked out and up the staircase. Logan growled, but it wasn’t heard over Remy’s shout, “Hey, we’re not done talking!”

“I am!”

A door slammed upstairs, and the room went silent. Emile pinched their nose bridge and sighed loudly, their wings drooping to their side.

“Alright, then. Boys,” The four teenagers turned to look at Emile, Patton and Virgil sheepish while Diego and Logan annoyed, “Please go to your rooms.”

“Which ones are our rooms? How many are there?”

“We have three, one for Rem and I, and the rest of you divide amongst yourselves. I’m done.”

Emile slapped the table with their free hand and stalked up the stairs, wings taught, and Remy followed him, shaking their head at the teenagers as they walked away, the entire room silent as they closed their door.

Virgil looked at the others, “Who wants to room with the grump cause we’re gonna have to go three to a room.”

Diego looked up, “Virge, you and I can.”

Patton spoke up, “Nope! I’m not gonna let y’all run off again!” He crossed his arms, firm.

“We’re not gonna run off, Patton! We’ll be fine. Come on, V.”

Diego grabbed Virgil’s hand, who blushed as he was pulled up the stairs by the scaled boy, “Uh, okay! Sorry, Pat!”

Patton and Logan stood alone, and Patton huffed, annoyed. “Fine then. It’s not my fault if they get in trouble. I’m just trying to help, can’t they see that?”

“I think they can, but they, unfortunately, don’t want it and it’s then our job to have to babysit our peers.”

Patton rested his head on Logan’s shoulder, the avian stiffening before relaxing, resting his own on the merperson.

“I think it’ll be alright eventually though. Remy and Emile are still mad at all of us for some reason, however. We should just start unpacking.”

“Okay.” Patton stood, stretching his back and groaning as it popped.

The two walked into their room ignoring the annoyed voices coming from both of the other rooms and quietly entering their own.


	27. the comfort

Diego gently pushed open a door, and let out a breath as he saw Roman sitting on a bed, staring hard out the window. Roman tensed as he heard the door creak, but didn’t move. Cross legged, he glared out of the window placed at the front of the room, two queen beds lining one wall and a desk between them.

“Ro?”

Roman huffed, “What is it?”

Virgil let go of Diego’s hand sitting next to Roman, “We just wanted to check on you, Roman. After downstairs, we just were…you know…worried.”

“Don’t be.” He hunched his shoulders, refusing to meet their eyes.

“Roman,” Diego cupped his shoulder as he sat on his other side,” You can talk to us, we’re your friends.”

Roman let out a shaky breath, “Yeah, I know,” His shoulders tensing even more and his glare hardening.

“You’ve been acting differently the last few days, Roman, do you have any idea why?”

He pursed his lips, seconds passing before he shook his head. Virgil laid back, his arms above his head as he sighed, “That means yes.”

“It doesn’t mean anything, Virgil. I just realised something I should’ve known for a while.”

Diego raised an eyebrow, “Being?”

“It’s nothing. Either way, not knowing it doesn’t hurt you, it was something I should’ve been aware of longer, but I don’t want to talk about it.”

He finally turned to Diego, and gave him a small, tense smile that Diego didn’t believe. He sighed, “Okay, Roman. We’re not gonna pressure you if you don’t want to talk about it.”

He laid his head on Roman’s shoulder and Roman melted, wrapping his left arm around him as Virgil sat up, clutching his left. Roman bit his lip, but just laid down, Diego and Virgil following him.

Diego turned, curling into Roman and Roman pressed a soft kiss to the crown of his head. Virgil grumbled, and Roman turned to him and smiled, pressing a kiss to his head as well. Virgil hummed, using Roman’s arm as a pillow and smiling, gazing into Roman’s amber eyes.

After a minute or so, Roman stood, stretching out his back with a long groan, Diego sitting up after him but Virgil stil sprawled out on the bed.

“So, how’re we dividing beds, then?”

Virgil pursed his lips, using his elbow to prop himself up, “There’s only two, huh?”

Roman coughed, his cheeks turning pink, “I could…um..push them together?”

Diego brightened with a smile, but Virgil cut him off with a hand, “Sure, or I could just do this.”

He stood up, raising both hands in the air. They covered themselves with vibrant purple magic, and he snapped his fingers, the two beds joining together with the desk turning into two side tables on either side.

Roan clapped with a bright grin, and Diego held his hand, squeezing it with a smile. Virgil blinked, and the weight of his magic use all day weighed on his energy. His knees gave out, and he grabbed onto the bed to avoid falling and crashing to ground. In an instant, the other two were kneeling in front of him, worry potent in their eyes.

“Virgil, what happened? Are you okay?”

Virgil chuckled, waving their worry away, “I’m fine boys, just a side effect of magic use sometimes.”

Roman pursed his lips, but nodded, a weak smile on his mouth.

Diego yawned, “Well, I’m absolutely exhausted. Bed?”

Roman smiled stronger, “Of course.”

–

Diego yawned, blinking awake, the sun trying to get into his eyes. He blinked a few times, pushing himself into a sitting position. He turned his head away from the sun and saw Roman sleeping peacefully, his brow relaxed and drool beginning to collect on his pillow. Diego smiled regardless, kissing his forehead gently, before getting out of bed and standing. 

He had changed into his pajamas the night before before going to sleep with Roman and Virgil, but he didn’t care to change again before knowing the plan of the day. He noticed Virgil wasn’t in the bed, but didn’t give it a thought. He was used to Virgil waking before them anyways

He crept out of the room and down the creaky staircase, and grimaced, looking back to listen if Roman had woken up, but heard nothing and continued downstairs where he heard quite a loud conversation going on. He stepped into the living room to see the other five speaking together.

Virgil stood at the counter of their rented house grumpily, Logan standing beside him with a faint smirk on his face. Patton sat at the table smiling and laughing to himself, as Remy pinched their brow and Emile sighed..

Diego yawned as he spoke, hands raising to rub the sleep from his eyes, “Morning, what’s going on?”

Logan looked at Diego, and his smirk turned into a smile, “Good morning to you too, we’re just discussing market trips.”

“The market?”

Virgil grumbled, “Yeah, the market. Where’s Ro?”

“He’s sleeping still,” Diego smiled softly at the image of the human, but shook his head, looking back at the dragon, “Why, is anything wrong?”

Virgil crossed his arms childishly and glared at the floor and Patton laughed, walking over and gently rubbing his back. Remy responded, “No, we were just talking about how we need to buy food and such and how it’s Pat, Ro, and my job to take care of it .”

Patton nodded, his bright blue-grey eyes shimmering in the morning sun, “Couldn’t Diego come along? He’s not too bad.”

Virgil rolled his eyes and Logan smirked, “Gold’s harder to cover than silver, Patton.”

Diego’s brow furrowed, “Wait, it’s not bad, if you put a glamour on Pat to cover his scales, why not mine?

Emile snicked, “You sound like Virgil ten minutes ago,” The boy mentioned hissed, reddening heavily, as his eyes glared holes into Emile, who continued to laugh.

Remy sighed, continuing, ”Well, sure, but Patton has been around humans more often than you the last few years, so it’s safest to stick to them.”

Diego tutted his tongue but smiled, “I take offense to that.”

Remy ignored them, “We created a shopping list that I have right now, so when do you think Roman will wake up?”

Diego hummed, “He was still asleep when I woke up, so it probably is going to take a bit of time for him.”

Virgil stood, seeming to almost drag himself to the doorway to the stairs, “I’ll do it. It’ll give me something to do here.”

Emile called out, “Stop it with the grumpiness, Virgil, and try to enjoy this!”

Virgil groaned in response, his shoulder knocking on the frame as he walked out of the room, Patton smiling towards him as he stalked out.

He grumbled to himself as he stomped dramatically up the stairs to Roman and Logan’s shared room. He knocked on the door, waiting a few seconds before asking annoyed, “Ro, you up? If you don’t open the door, I’ll magic water over your head.”

The room remained silent, so Virgil kicked down the door and snapped his fingers, Roman’s shirtless, sleeping form immediately being doused in water. Roman startled awake, shrieking in surprise before he saw Virgil cackling in the corner. 

Roman cursed, “Thomas and the five, why did you do that?”

Virgil grinned, “Felt like it, my dearest human.”

Roman growled, shaking the water off of him, “Thank you so much, V.”

“Any time, Ro,” He snickered a second more, before adding as he walked away, “Oh, and the others want you downstairs. You’re going shopping”

“Tell them I’m going to take a bit since you got me soaking wet!”

“Sure.”

He strolled out the room, still snickering, and Roman ran up, slamming the door shut.


	28. the vegetables

Patton fidgeted with the necklace Roman had gifted to him with one hand, a basket for groceries in the other. He absolutely loved the gift as simple as it was, because it meant he had thought about him. 

Patton was glad he fit in so well with Diego’s family, but was still nervous inside. What if he wasn’t good at being human? What if being with them wasn’t valuable enough? What if they found out how he escaped?

Patton bit his lip, shaking his head. His dreads slapped the sides of his face gently and he jumped at the slight knock. Roman peered over his shoulder at him in slight confusion, and Pat just sheepishly smiled. Roman gave him a small one back, and let out a breath. 

Remy had left them just moments ago to do their own shopping with their basket, and left Roman with Patton because they “trusted him to corral Roman”, to which he laughed and Roman huffed.

“So, Remy said they’d get the meat and dairy, but it’s our job to get the produce. Unfortunately,“ He sighed with a pursed smile, “Their handwriting is like chicken-scratch, and I have no idea what it says.”

“Let me see,” Patton leaned over and found the handwriting close to his own messy scribbles.

“Oh, this is easy!” He peered at Roman through his circular glasses with a curious smile, “How come you couldn’t read it?”

Roman blushed and hummed, shrugging, “I mainly was taught cursive and calligraphy growing up, so the more…simple forms of letters can confuse me at times.”

“Golly, I have no idea how to write cursive, or even read it! Your family must’ve been rich?”

Roman flinched at that, and Patton realized he must’ve hit a sore subject, “Yeah. They were…are.”

Patton patted his shoulder, “Sorry if you don’t want to talk about it, I was just curious.”

Roman gave him a soft and thankful smile, and nodded. He motioned to the paper to ask what was written on it and Patton obliged.

“Just some grains, a bunch of specific vegetables like tomatoes and lettuce, and…oo!”

Roman raised an eyebrow as his arms crossed, a growing grin on his mouth.

“We get to pick the fruit! Come on, come on!”

Patton grabbed his hand, and Roman tripped over his own feet at the tug, but Patton just grinned at him and started walking quickly. Roan just laughed and followed him, walking hand in hand at each other’s sides.

They stopped in front of a produce booth, where an old woman sat patiently behind with a smile. Patton tugged Roman over and now Roman obliged, looking at the vegetables she offered carefully.

Meanwhile, Patton started up a conversation with the woman, “Hello, ma’am!”

The woman seemed confused that he spoke to her but delighted at the same time, “Hello to you too, young man. I haven’t seen you or your friend around here before, are you travelling?”

“Yes, we are! We were sent out to get food and your stand looks beautiful, so of course we had to stop by.”

“Well, thank you dear. My late husband used to help me along with running it, but since he passed, it’s just me. Everything you see here was picked by yours truly at my own little garden, so I know it’s good.”

Roman spoke up, “Oh, I can tell, ma’am. These tomatoes are almost bursting with how deliciously ripe they are! How much for a pound?”

The woman smiled happily, he eyes crinkling, “Thank you, young sir. It’ll be three for a pound, but five for two.”

Roman winked at her, “What a steal,” and handed her five gold. She took it in her wrinkled hand and smiled brightly at him, thanking him kindly.

“What are you two boys’ names, then? You can call me Agnes, but I’d like to tell my friends how sweet you were to an old woman like myself.”

Roman’s eyes grew wide and he opened his mouth but Patton cut him off, pointing to himself and then Roman, “Oh, I’m Patton and this is my friend Roman.”

The woman’s eyes grew wide, “Roman? Like the late prince?”

Roman fumbled, his hands gesturing vaguely, “Exactly like the prince! Common name when I was born, you see.”

It seemed like he caught up to her words, “Wait, late prince?”

Her eyes began to water, and Agnes nodded sadly, “Haven’t you heard?”

Patton tensed, looking shaky and nervous, “I heard he was just lost and or…um…missing.”

She shook her head, “No, dear, the king announced a few days ago how the crown prince was murdered in cold blood by some dirty Alimagians,” She seemed to spit the word, and she wiped her eyes sadly, “Fortunately the prince’s killers were executed in the square of the castle’s village the same day, so they can’t kill again.”

Roman’s jaw trembled before he clenched it hard, looking down, “We didn’t know, ma’am. We’ve been traveling for weeks now.”

Agnes patted Roman’s hand, “Not your fault, boy. You’re just the age the prince would be, aren’t you?” 

Roman pursed his lips, nodding slowly, and Agnes smiled.

“I was working at the castle when he was born, you know? I had to leave the next year, my back wasn’t good anymore, but I remember the celebrations thrown around the kingdom in honor of our prince, our Roman Phillip. The queen held him so proudly in her arms and the king looked at him like he was his world.”

She chuckled, “That boy’s cries would echo through the castle, but we didn’t care, it just showed he was strong.”

Agnes sighed, “I was excited to see how beautifully a lovely boy like him would rule, but we’ll never know.” She looked up at Roman and he gave her a small tense smile, and she patted his hand once more, “Remember to carry your name proudly, Roman, and make your namesake proud.”

Roman nodded, before turning away with a wave, Patton following behind him, face pale and looking a dull grey instead of his normal deep brown.

He swallowed, “I didn’t know you and the prince had the same name.”

Roman clenched his fist, nodding sharply, “Yeah, I don’t much speak about it.”

“Did you know he had died?”

“No. I was already with everyone when news broke, I believe.”

Patton stayed quiet, and Roman turned to him, a small smile on his lips, “Are you okay, Pat?”

He sighed, “I’m okay,” Giving Roman one in return as his heart beat frantically in his chest. 

Patton hated lying, hated pretending the prince was dead. Because, in all honesty, Patton knew the prince wasn’t dead, and he didn’t know how he could hide the truth from Roman that his namesake was truly alive.

But, he didn’t, couldn’t tell Roman, because Patton alone had to find the prince.


	29. the kitchen

Roman and Patton finished buying the vegetables in a nervous silence. Roman’s heart wouldn’t stop beating. He was lucky Agnes hadn’t been around the castle in years, or else his entire identity would be uncovered. 

He thinks that Virgil wouldn’t be too mad, but Diego would be upset since his father was killed because of Roman’s father, and Emile would be hurt and Logan furious.

He didn’t know why Patton was upset, but he didn’t care. As long as Patton doesn’t think of him as the true prince, Roman was fine.

“Now we have fruit.”

Patton broke the silence and Roman turned to him, humming a question.

“I mean, we only have fruit to buy now,” Patton explained with a small smile.

“Lovely! What do you like, then?”

“Well…I really like blueberries, and I know Virgil’s gonna want some grapes and Diego lemons.” He chuckled, “He’s always loved them in everything.”

“Then off we go!”

The two walked to a fruit stand that had every fruit Roman could imagine, and Patton beamed, secretly throwing a blueberry into his mouth as the vendor spoke to a customer and grinning. He turned to Roman excitedly, juice splattered on his cheek from how eagerly he bit into it. He whispered, “They’re perfect!”

Roman smiled, using his thumb to wipe away any juice, and Patton blinked before smiling sheepishly, “Thanks.”

Roman nodded, gathering a few lemons into his basket along with a bushel of grapes. He grabbed a few plums as well, hopeful Logan would either hate them or love them.

He nodded to the vendor, who finished his business with the other customer, and he walked over, looking at the fruit in Roman’s basket.

“The fruit’ll be nine gold for all those.” He nodded to the basket.

“Lovely,” Roman winked to the teen working, who looked about his own age. He blushed back, looking away shyly. Roman passed him ten gold and told him to keep the change, before asking prices on blueberries and strawberries.

“Well,” The boy said, still flustered, “Each quarter pound is three gold, but I’ll give you a half pound of each for ten total.”

‘Well, thank you, my dear!” Roman handed him another ten gold pieces, and the boy smiled back, turning round to package the berries.

Patton nudged Roman, grinning, “Oo, you’re a catch, aren’t you!”

He smirked, “I know my strengths, my dear,“ He whispered quietly so the vendor wouldn’t hear.

“Here you go, then.” He placed the berries in disposable paper containers into Roman’s basket, and Roman bowed his head, thanking him with a gin and a wink before turning away, Patton giggling at his side.

–

“We’re back!”

Patton called out as he opened the front door to their small rental. Virgil looked up from where he cooked, and he smiled, “Hey, Pat. Ro.”

“Is Remy already back?”

“No, not yet, but they stopped by like a minute ago to let us know they’d be back later. They dropped off the meat and dairy, though.”

“Lovely,” Roman wrapped his arms around Virgil’s waist, and smiled as he heard Virgil laugh.

“Stop it, you nerd,” But he still leaned into him for a moment before swatting his hands. Roman laughed, “What’re you making?”

“Right now, I’m just cooking some beef. The recipe calls for chicken but…well…Diego and Logan together refused on that, so beef it is.This place already was stocked with a bunch of spices, so we’re in luck.”

“Where are Logan and Diego?” Patton piped up, and Vigil grinned at him, “They’re yelling at each other upstairs.”

“Oh goodness.”

As soon as Virgil said that, a clatter came from upstairs and Diego’s voice yelled something, and Patton paled, turning and running up the stairs to Roman’s laughter.

“How’re you doing then, V? Still mad?”

Virgil turned, flicking his forehead and ignoring his offended noise as he responded, “I’m fine, still annoyed, though. I do _not_ like staying still, I just wish I could leave the house, you know?”

Roman smiled, kissing his forehead as he nodded in response. Virgil’s marks were a stark black against his copper skin and his ears were as pointed as ever, so he’d be caught in less than a second with Remy’s glamours.

“Well, we got tomatoes if you need them.”

“Where?”

Virgil tore out of Roman’s arms and bolted to the basket, laughing excitedly as he held a tomato in his hands. Roman grinned, “Patton picked those out.”

“They’re perfect! Tell Patton thank you from me.”

“Tell me what?”

Patton walked back down the stairs, Diego and Logan right behind him.

“Oh, just thanks for the tomatoes. I needed them for the recipe along with…yes!” He pulled out a few potatoes. He threw them to Logan, who caught them, panicked, almost fumbling and dropping them all, but catching himself.

“Go wash those off in the sink for me.”

Logan rolled his eyes but obliged, “I just got downstairs.”

“Ro, you slice up the tomatoes and whatever else I need for the sauce, Diego, you start cutting up lettuce for the salad, and Patton, could you help me with the rice?”

“I’d love to, but I’ve never done it before,“ He said sheepishly.

“That’s fine, you and Diego switch jobs then. I’ll keep working with the beef.”

Roman chuckled, but grabbed the tomato from Virgil’s hand and another from the basket. He opened a lower cabinet, closed it, then opened another and found a cutting board, pulling it out. He whistled, making Logan look at him with a glare, and Roman just held the board towards him. Logan looked confused, but took it anyways with a nod, his glare fading as he started with his task. 

Roman found another board, handed it to Patton before he began searching for another, and finding none, he pulled out a plate instead. He grabbed a knife from the block, and started slicing it up.

Patton looked over at Roman from where he was slowly chopping a carrot, and he quirked an eyebrow at the human, “Where did you learn to cut things? Weren’t you rich?”

Roman tensed and let out a breath as Logan glared at him again. He ran his clean hand that didn’t have any tomato guts on it through his hair, “Well, I could say I learned it from learning how to use a sword, but in all actuality, my mother taught me young and Virgil helped me refresh on the skill.”

Patton hummed in response, and he nodded before turning and concentrating on his carrot chopping. Diego huffed after placing the lid on top of his pot of rice, “You were rich? Wasn’t your family full of lawyers?”

“I…yes, but we worked for the higher ups in my community.”

“I remember you saying that,“ Virgil hummed, turning the pieces of meat over and sharp sizzling filling the air.

Virgil turned, grabbing a clove or two of garlic and slapping it next to Roman’s plate, “These next.”

Roman grinned, thankful the conversation had moved past him,“Sure,” and he focused on cutting again.


	30. the dinner

Everyone sat at the dinner table, with Remy at the head and Emile next to them, both of them smiling at the dinner their boys had created.

Roman and Logan sat at one side of the rectangular table with Patton between them as a mediator, and Virgil and Diego at the other. Virgil served everyone, pouring rice into all of their bowls before scooping a ladle full of beef and it’s sauce into them all.

Emile took a big spoonful before groaning happily, “Virgil, you have outdone yourself this time.”

Virgil smiled, “They all helped me, but thanks, Em.”

The table was quiet except for the sound of chewing, so Remy decided to break it, “So, Diego, how was your day then?”

“Fine, bit boring.” He took a bite of rice, “Logan yelled at me for no reason.”

“There _was_ a reason. You wouldn’t stop saying nonsense and telling me you were right when you clearly were not.”

Diego smirked, “Yeah, exactly. It’s fine though, since after you shoved me, I pushed you off the bed.”

Roman snorted as Emile pinched his brow, Patton shaking his head with a smile. “Oh so that was what that thump from earlier was,“ Virgil thought out loud.

“Moving on from that, Roman, how was yours and Patton’s shopping trip?”

Roman shrugged, “It was good. People were nice and we got the berries off on a discount.”

Patton elbowed Roman’s left side with a smile, “Because you kept flirting with the vendor!”

The two laughed, but Diego just narrowed his eyes. Virgil nudged him with a smile, and Diego sighed, eating another spoonful of rice.

“Where were you, Remy?”

Remy pursed their lips, “Well, Roman, I was actually talking with some old friends who had made their way to the village.”

Logan choked on his rice, “What?”

“It’s fine, Logan, they don’t know my real identity, but they’re good people. They said that a village fifty miles away or so is Alimagian friendly, so if you all are up to it, we can begin travelling there at the end of the week so we could live freely for a bit.”

Emile hummed, “Fifty miles is quite a distance to walk, Rem. Especially for a group of seven who has to travel away from the roads. Are you sure?”

“Positive,” They nodded, “I trust them, and I’ve traveled to this village years and years ago, and when I was there , they weren’t bad at all. If the rumors are true and they’re allowing Alimagian refugees in, we might have a chance.”

“Alright,” Emile said after a pause, “I trust you, but we have to prepare enough for it. Teach Virgil the spell you use to take things from the air so both of you can pack for it, and the rest of us will start on supplies this week.”

They nodded, “I’m alright with that. Any objections?”

The group of five teens didn’t say anything, Roman just smiling as Diego and Logan shrugged. Virgil grinned brightly, “Oh, I am excited now.”

Logan rolled his eyes, “No use objecting when you’ve both made up your minds.”

Patton just bit his lips anxiously, and stared at his bowl, not eating a thing.

“Pat?” Emile asked quietly, and the merperson jumped.

“S-sorry. I was just thinking about…something. I’m okay with travelling, though.”

“What’s on your mind, Patton?”

“Just…well…” He sighed, biting his lip, ”Roman and I found out the human prince was…killed a few weeks ago.”

Logan’s eyes grew wide as Remy and Roman stiffened in their seats.

“What?”

Patton pursed his lips, “Roman said he knew he was missing when Roman joined you, but his body was found afterwards, and they said he was killed by Alimagains.”

Remy’s brow furrowed, and Emile looked horrified.

“Good,” Logan muttered, and Emile turned to him appalled, “Logan!”

“What! It’s simple retaliation. They kill us, we kill them!”

A look of horror crossed Virgil’s face, “What if they attacked the avians because they thought we killed their prince? What if the attack wasn’t out of nowhere? What if it was retaliation?”

Everyone’s faces paled at that statement, and Roman felt like he was going to vomit.

Patton swallowed and he shook his head, looking up at Remy, scared, “What if the village isn’t safe for Alimagians after this?”

Remy just stared at him, their brow furrowing deeper, “We don’t know. But this is news to me. I had heard of the prince disappearing, but not dead. When was this uncovered?”

“A few days ago, I think.”

Roman sighed, clearing his throat as he stared at the table, “She said that the Crown Prince Roman Phillip was murdered by two Alimagians and they were executed the same day they broke the news. He was just missing prior.”

Diego’s eyes seemed to pop out of his head, and Logan’s narrowed heavily. They said together, “Prince Roman?”

Roman sighed, burying his head in his arms. He spat quietly, “We have the same name, yes. We were born the same year and so it was popular. I’ve met him once or twice before.”

Remy leaned over and held his shoulder, and Patton just looked at him sadly.

“I didn’t know you had met.”

Virgil reached over and grabbed his hand, “I’m sorry, Ro.”

Roman pursed his lips, raising his head from the table.

“It’s fine. I’m fine. But I don’t think the prince caused the attack. Roman’s death was days ago, while the avian attack was weeks. I don’t believe the king would hide information such as this from his people for so long, meaning the avian attack was unrelated.”

“Then they must’ve killed the prince because of the attack.” Logan’s brow furrowed with concentration.

“But the prince was reported missing for weeks before his death. If he was killed by Alimagians days ago, why? Why did they wait until now to kill him?” Virgil contributed, following it up with a bite of beef.

Remy sighed, standing up and making everyone look at them,“Whatever the fact, all we truly know is the avian village was attacked and destroyed and the crown prince is dead and it’s being blamed on Alimagians. 

“We need to stay hopeful that the new village will take us in, but we’ll arrive there with glamours and see how they act. If bad, we leave and make a home some place else, but if good, we stay. Alright?”

Roman pursed his lips and Logan narrowed his eyes. Patton looked upset, nodding as he stared at his bowl. Diego, wanting answers, and Virgil, curious, just sighed, nodding along.

“Great. Now, let’s just finish our dinners without having to think about politics and such and have a nice moment instead.”

They all finished their meals in silence except with Remy asking Virgil a few questions about his training that day, to which he replied quietly. Roman and Logan eyed each-other through the meal, and as soon as they finished, they stomped away up the stairs together to the confusion of all of the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this is feeling a bit repetitive at this point, but trust me, things start ramping up very soon and angst will begin to flood in. :)


	31. the giving-up

“So, we know the prince was rumored dead by the castle, and the avian village was attacked and bombed a week or two ago.”

“There has to be a correlation.”

Logan paced back and forth across the room as Roman gnawed on his lip from where he sat on Patton’s bed.

Logan threw his hands up, wings tense behind him, “What does it all mean?”

Roman sighed, laying back on Patton’s bed as Logan continued to pace near his own.

“I’m not sure, Logan, but I’ll try my best to help.”

Logan rolled his eyes, sneering at Roman, “Sure. You’re only talking about this because your precious prince is dead, not because my people are.”

Roman winced, but glared back, “Why did you immediately have to go there, Logan?”

Logan pursed his lips and turned away, sitting on his bed. Roman sighed, turning to look at him from where he laid, “I thought that we were going to try and talk to each other but I guess not.”

“Why would we talk to each other? We hate each other.”

“I don’t hate you, Logan. You absolutely piss me off daily for your own entertainment, but I don’t hate you. I thought…”

“You thought what?”

Roman sneered at Logan’s haughty response, and he sat up, “I thought after I held you in my arms that you’d at least try to be friends with me, but I guess not.”

Logan launched off of his bed and stormed over to Roman, his wings raised dangerously high, “That night never happened.”

“Oh, yes it did.” Roman stood up, getting into Logan’s face, “We had a whole conversation about the truth of what happened at the festival and then you said you’d try to get along with me, and then the very next day, you started more…shit with me!”

“Oo, language, Roman,” Logan hissed between his teeth, a mocking smile on his lips.

Roman growled, frustrated, “You said that you’d actually try, and I thought things were finally going to get better! But no! You immediately started again! I’ve done my best to be nice, but whatever I do, you still act like a child!”

“I act like a child, Roman? You can’t say anything, throwing a fit because someone doesn’t like you.”

Roman let out a furious shout, and he shoved Logan away from him, the avian losing their balance and falling to the floor. His eyes burned angrily, and the wind started whipping around the room.

“Don’t you EVER touch me again!”

He thrust his hand out, and the air around Roman started lifting him in the air. He let out a shout, but Logan dropped him to the floor just as he got closer, deciding to instead punch him in the face instead.

Roman froze on the ground, staring up at Logan, a wildfire burning in his eyes, which seemed to glow red with anger, but then he began to laugh. Louder and louder. Logan’s anger burned away to confusion as the human just stayed sitting on the ground, laughing. But then, his laughter lost any humor to it, and it instead sounded bitter and pained.

“Roman?” Logan said cautiously, taking a small step forward, and Roman just shook his head, his laughter dying away but his body still shaking, his eyes beginning to fill with tears.

“Why..why are you crying? I didn’t hurt you.”’

“I finally thought that people wouldn’t hate me for the sins of my race, but no. Even at one of my people’s villages, I’m still hated. By you, for no reason.”

He stood up, and just wiped his tears with a bitter smile on his face as he looked at Logan’s confused expression. 

“You said I’m only upset because my prince is dead? Sure. I’m upset, but also because I know what horrors the royal family will inflict upon the people I care about. Sure, I’m selfish. But all I want is for everyone downstairs to be okay.”

He huffed a laugh, and looked deep into Logan’s eyes, “I’m done, Logan. I’m done trying with you. If you want to become friends, that’s on you. But I’m done trying to be friends with you and getting nothing but hurt in return.”

He turned around, walking quickly out of the room, leaving Logan to stare after him.

Logan wanted to be angry, wanted to shout at him how he was unfair, or that he was overdramatic. But instead, guilt just filled his stomach and crawled up his throat, sitting on his tongue like a stone. He swallowed as tears pricked his eyes, and he sat on his bed, curing to himself.

He hates Roman. He hates that his people were killed by Roman’s. Hates that Roman is upset for Logan, that he cared about Logan’s pain. He hates that Roman cares about his prince’s death because it’ll bring harm to Logan’s family.

Logan punched his bed with a shout, his tears running down his face as his guilt weighed heavier.

Roman couldn’t be the bigger person, Logan was the one who was hurting. Roman hurt Logan, how dare he at like Logan was overdramatic?

But…Logan was. He knew in his gut every time he yelled, mocked, or teased Roman that he was projecting his hate for humans onto him, but he didn’t want to admit it.

He shoved his face into a pillow to hide his tears. Roman didn’t deserve Logan’s words, but Logan didn’t deserve to be alone. He laughed bitterly around the sobs, the world was unfair for Alimagians and humans alike.

Logan…hated admitting when he’s wrong. He always has. But…in order to keep order in the house and the group…he guesses he’ll try apologizing to Roman. Because he wants to, not because Roman said he’s done trying. No.

He sighed, kicking his shoes off and laying on his stomach, tearing his tie off and burying his head in his pillows. He hears Patton enter minutes later, but he stays quiet, quickly changing before turning the lights off, whispering a quiet, “Goodnight, Logie.”

Logan sighed, whispering back, “Goodnight, Patton.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes i know it has a strange name, but i didn't know what else to call it lol
> 
> check out my tumblr @lemonyellowlogic!!
> 
> thanks for reading and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments! <333


	32. the pockets

After the conversation at dinner the night before, the house had been tense but still filled with energy, Virgil noticed. Emile and Diego were out getting groceries after Remy glamoured the both of them, and Logan refused to leave his room. Roman, Patton, and Virgil laid in the sitting room, but were quiet nonetheless.

After Roman had stormed into their room last night, he’d barely said anything since. Virgil and Diego knew he and Logan had gotten into a fight, and it had obviously gotten physical since Roman did have a busted lip, but Roman wouldn’t say anything about what happened.

Anything other than he had “given up” before he fell into Virgil’s arms, still shaking and upset. Virgil and Diego cuddled with him until he passed out between them, and then spent the rest of the night trying to figure out what had actually happened, and ended up getting absolutely nowhere with the discussion.

Patton said at breakfast that Logan had told him goodnight, but nothing else after he entered the room, and Logan was a no show at breakfast. Patton managed to bring him some toast and eggs, but that was it, he said, no words exchanged from him.

Roman sat on the couch reading a book as Virgil laid his head on his lap, his leg’s resting on top of Patton’s. Virgil entertained himself by watching his magic curl all around his fingertips as Patton watched in gleeful awe. Patton did the same with a cup of water next to him, leaving it about Virgil’s head, dropping in on his jet black hair.

“P-Pat!” Virgil spluttered indignantly, and Patton laughed. Roman looked down from his book Virgil and snorted, holding his hand over his mouth to quiet his laughter. Virgil tried not to smile but failed, seeing Roman happy making him happy too.

“Virgil?”

Virgil jumped hearing his name, turning to the door to see Remy leaning against the doorway with a smile.

Virgil hummed, looking back at his hand.

“Come, time for a lesson.”

Virgil immediately started to grin and tumbled off of where he laid to the confused squawk from Roman. He stood from where he landed and quickly walked to the door, “Finally! Is it the packaging spell you used while traveling?”

The corner of their mouth quirked up, “Possibly. Come.”

Virgil grinned, waving back to his friends and saying, “Bye.” They waved and he made his way up the staircase. His bedroom door was opened and he walked in, seeing Remy look at the gigantic bed in confusion.

“I could’ve sworn there were two queens in here.”

“Oh, yeah,” Virgil rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed, “We didn’t want to split up, so we just made it one big bed instead.”

Remy looked impressed but also knowing, and they asked with a smirk, “You did this with your magic?”

“I did.” Virgil’s face heated.

“Well, good job with it, then. Just make sure to change it back when we leave in three days. Also, remember our rooms are next to yours and we’d rather not hear…noises late at night.”

“Noises?” Virgil caught the meaning behind their words and his eyes grew with, his face burning, “No, no, no! You’ve got it all wrong, we’re not-”

“I know, I know, Virgil, I’m only teasing.” They grinned, unapologetic. They motioned their hands towards Virgil, “Now, show me what you know about object manipulation.”

Virgil eyes were narrowed and cheeks dark, but he hummed in response, pursing his lips with concentration and he picked up a pen from the side table and held it in his hand. He furrowed his brow as he spoke under his breath and his magic began to seep from his fingertips and envelop the pen. He let out a breath, and the magic disappeared, the pen with it. Virgil opened his eyes, and grinned after he saw it.

Remy clapped slowly, “Now, did you turn it invisible, teleport it, destroy it, or make it intangible?”

Virgil bit his lip, “Invisible. I can still feel it in my hand, but I can’t see it.”

“That’s a good first step, Virgil. I’m proud.”

Virgil smiled and nodded, handing the pen to Remy as they sat down on the bed next to him.

“In all honesty, the way I create things to be intangible is to first believe they can be. If you believe a rock cannot be intangible, your magic will not work to make it so. So first,“ Remy waved their hand over the invisible pen, and it popped into visibility, and they handed it back to Virgil, “Say, ‘I can make this intangible.’”

Virgil pursed his lips but nodded, saying quietly, “I can make this intangible.”

“Louder.”

Virgil cut their eyes at them but said it louder, “I can make this intangible.”

“Louder!”

Virgil all but shouted, “I can make this intangible!”

“Okay, good. Now, the layer of magic you covered the pen in was too thick. You have to let the magic flow over it as thin as you can imagine so you don’t wear yourself out. When I want something to be intangible, I have to keep my magic on it the entire time.”

“Wait, so the entire time you had to carry the tents and stuff, you were actively carrying them?”

“No, no, no, I wasn’t. Do you know the feeling you feel when you’re using your magic?”

Virgil hummed, “I guess, like a bit tense and buzzy?”

“Exactly. You feel that, but extremely minimized to the point you don’t notice it. I can perform other spells that need a large amount of magic at the same time, you just have to separate the magic use.”

“Oh, I get it. So you’re aware you’re using magic but you don’t have to concentrate on it?”

Remy nodded, “But to send it to a pocket realm to store or to take it out you do have to concentrate.”

“That’s interesting.”

Remy smiled, “Yes, yes it is. Now…” They motioned with their hands, “Try it out.”

Virgil sighed, but nodded. He took a breath, hovering his hand in front of the pen, and let his magic flow over it, much thinner.

“Go thinner, you want barely any covering it.”

He hummed, and willed the magic to become even thinner. It looked thinner than paper, and Remy nodded, “Perfect. Now, will it to become intangible.”

Virgil bit his lip and nodded, closing his eyes tightly. He opened them slowly, to see the pen gone, and no weight in his hand. He knew the pen was still there, as he felt his magic around him, but it was completely intangible.

“I-I did it, Remy!”

“You did,” They gave him a one-armed hug before saying, “Now send it to a pocket dimension.”

Virgil’s brow furrowed, “How?”

Remy pursed their lips in concentration as they thought of how to explain, and they said slowly, “Imagine ripping a hole in the air, but carefully and with magic. Try to make it only as large enough to put the object through as to not tire yourself, but don’t worry about making it too big. Pocket dimensions only rarely go out of control, and even then the mage can easily take handle of it again.”

“How do I know if I did it?”

“You’ll know, you’ll feel it around you. I won’t be able to, though. It’s your magic, and no one but you will be able to use it.”

Virgil hummed, still confused, “If we’re putting the objects in the pocket anyway, why make them intangible?”

“It’s easier to put them in and take them out,” They shrugged, “You’ll learn later how to do it without the object being intangible, but this way is much easier.”

They nodded to themselves, before motioning to Virgil again, “Now, try.”

He sighed and nodded, closing his eyes tightly as he imagined a sword cutting through the air. He didn’t hear a difference, but he gasped as he felt his magic seep into something completely new. 

He gulped, opening his eyes and raising his hand through the hole he created, placing the pen in the pocket before pulling his hand out. He held his breath as he closed the pocket, and let it out as he felt it seal shut. He fell into Remy’s side, who caught him.

“I did it.”

“You did! I could feel your magic in the air, Virgil. You were perfect.”

Remy kissed the crown of his head and gave him a tight hug, which he weakly returned.

“Now, you don’t have to do it now, since you seem tired, but to remove it, you do the same thing, but in reverse. To make something tangible, just think of it so, and pull your magic off of it. That’s all you have to do.”

Virgil nodded, and Remy stood up, letting him lay down.

“We’ll be practicing this for the remainder of our time here, with larger things each time. So, take a nap now, and later we’ll try again. I am so proud of you, Virgil.”

They kissed his forehead, before walking out of the room as he passed out, completely whipped from the pocket creation. He was ecstatic to practice later, but for now, he was exhausted, and he happily let himself fall asleep.

He’s definitely going to show off to the others at dinner, however.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, i’m very aware this chapter is almost all exposition and like filler, but it is going to be important very soon, so just hold on a little bit, k?
> 
> check out my tumblr @lemonyellowlogic and feel free to comment your thoughts below!


	33. the crown

That night, Logan surprisingly made dinner. A simple ginger spiced stew, but Logan was proud of it, and everyone agreed it was delicious. 

Virgil showed off the spell, his pen popping into his hand as he beamed happily. Roman politely clapped and smiled, the only real expression he had all dinner.

Logan tried to serve him, but Roman ignored him, serving himself instead. He tried to get him a drink, Roman got his own. Every time Logan tried doing something for Roman, to apologize or to be a nice person, the other five didn’t know, Roman ignored him. 

He ignored almost everyone, only speaking when spoken to and only a few words.

Logan didn’t understand. He was polite, nice, he made dinner! Why would Roman not talk to him? He did enough to get Roman to be happy again. 

Logan sat on his bed, biting his thumb as he thought. He wanted things to be better again. Roman made everyone else in the group happy, made the energy light. Now that he wouldn’t even talk, everyone is stressed and anxious about what’s to come.

He hated it. Why couldn’t Roman just forgive him already and be happy again?

Logan groaned into his hands, laying down on his bed. If Roman didn’t want to talk to Logan, he guesses that he’ll make him. Or at least confront him. Logan rolled off his bed, his wings stretching out behind him as he walked out his door and into Roman’s room.

Roman and the others weren’t inside, so Logan continued in, sitting on the big bed, waiting for the human. He kicked his feet, hissing in pain as it connected with a hard object under the bed. He furrowed his brow, standing and looking at what he had kicked.

It was a Roman’s bag, but something else was falling out of it. Logan reached and picked it up. It was another bag. Logan didn’t know Roman had two. It was small, but with ornate lacing on it. Logan looked over his shoulder, making sure no one was in the room, before sitting back on the bed and lifting the flap on the bag.

Guilt settled in his throat, but he was too curious to take notice. He looked inside and saw fabric. Beautiful deep red with golden stitching, he pulled out a shirt and pants, folded. He was confused, why would Roman have this?

He felt something still in the bag though. Against his conscience, he pulled it out, and immediately dropped it, his heart sinking to his stomach and nausea rising in him. The crown clattered against the floor loudly, and Logan fell to his knees, holding the golden bejeweled crown tightly in his hands.

He heard footsteps enter the room, but didn’t turn around.

Roman spoke for the first time that day to Logan, “Logan? What are you…doing…in here…”

Roman froze in his footsteps as he saw the crown in Logan’s shaking hands and he paled to white, closing the door behind him as Logan stood, walking up to him.

“Are-are you…?”

Roman swallowed, but sighed, his head drooping, “We need to talk.”

“About what? Your lies?”

He sighed again, holding Logan’s shoulder and walking to the end, “Please, Logan. Please just listen to me.”

Logan shook under his hand and shrugged him off, a broken laugh spilling from his lips, but still followed him to the bed, sitting next to Roman.

Roman leaned over, plucking his crown from Logan’s fingers and biting his lip, slowly placing it on his head.

“Logan Picani, my true name is Crown Prince Roman Phillip Sanders, Son of King Augustus Thomas Sanders and Queen Ahissa Isabel Lopez Sanders, and brother to Prince Remus Arthur Sanders. I am not dead.”

Logan held his own face in his hands, his breath caught in his throat. He forced himself to swallow and took a deep breath. He looked back up to Roman with narrowed eyes.

“Did you have anything to do with the genocide of the avians?”

Roman swallowed but shook his head, his mouth pursing, “No, I did not. I was already considered missing by my kingdom when it occurred.”

Logan nodded, slowly, “Does anyone else in the group know?”

“Only Remy, and that’s because they didn’t trust me at first and they confronted me. I was planning on telling them soon when you and Emile arrived after the attack, and then we were on the run and Patton joined, and I didn’t know what to do.”

“How did you really become lost? Planning an attack?”

Roman looked appalled, but his voice was even, “No. My real story is the same as the one I told, just with details missing.”

He took a breath, looking at his crossed legs as Logan’s eyes burned into the side of his face, “My brother arranged for me to go on a scouting mission slash hunting trip with guards he had chosen for me and my father approved. I didn’t trust them since my brother has long been antagonistic towards me, but I went along with it. I had just gotten off of my horse because they decided to stop for the day and grabbed my bag,” 

He motioned towards the one clutched in Logan’s hands, “When they attacked me. I had my sword, but I couldn’t fend both of them off for long. They ended up really wounding me, and all I could do was run into the first. They didn’t pursue me because they thought I’d be dead within the hour, and I would’ve been, if Virgil hadn’t found me. I woke up in their cottage, and I told them I was the son of lawyers, but everything you know and they know about me is the truth.”

Logan pinched his brow tightly taking a sharp breath, “Wait, so if you’re the crown prince, you aren’t dead?”

Roman gave a grim smile, “I don’t think so, no.”

Logan rolled his eyes, mouth pursed tight and he swatted at him, “Shut up. That means no body was found, which means that you being dead is a lie. And what about the Alimagians executed?”

Roman hung his head, “I don’t know I hope it’s just propaganda, but knowing my father, I don’t think it is.”

“So, they murdered two of my people under the facade of revenge?”

“Exactly.”

“That…that’s disgusting.”

“I know.”

Logan narrowed his eyes, looking at Roman, wearing his simple red tunic and grey slacks, his hair tousled under the crown, “I didn’t think anyone like you could be on the throne.”

Roman reeled back, his eyes showing faint hurt, “Thanks.”

Logan backpedaled, “Wait, no. Not like that, it’s just that you’re not a bad person? And you are okay with Alimagians? Not that you’re bad.”

Roman smiled, small, but it was there, “Oh. Well, thank you. Many common folks also said that, which is why I was popular with them more than my brother.” His nose scrunched up while mentioning Remus, so Logan moved away from the subject.

“Why don’t you hate us like your father?”

Roman smiled bittersweet, “My mother. She died when I was thirteen, in a fire, but she always taught me everyone was equal and magic is something to be praised, not shamed. I did all I could to sway my brother and father’s opinions, but to no avail.”

Logan hummed, biting at his nail, “A fire?”

“Yeah. “ The words Roman said sounded stilted like he even he struggled to believe them, “The sad part is my mother had always said how beautiful fire was, how wherever a fire was, she’d be there too, to protect me. Funny how things play out,“ Roman laughed a bitter chuckle, and Logan held his shoulder. Roman looked up, confused, and Logan swallowed, slowly wrapping his arms around Roman.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Roman said, muffled in the avian’s shoulder, but his voice thick, “It was five years ago, I’ve-”

“No. I’m sorry, Roman, for treating you how I did. You…you didn’t deserve that. I won’t tell anyone who you are.”

Roman tensed at his words, but wrapped his own arms underneath Logan’s wings and held him back close. Logan heard the doorknob jostle after a moment and he reeled back, ripping Roman’s crown off his head and throwing it under the bed. Virgil and Diego walked in, tired. 

“Ro-Loan? What’re you doing here?”

Logan smiled, looking back at Roman and squeezing his shoulder, “Talking. I’m going to go, but goodnight, Roman.”

Roman smiled back, wiping his eyes and nodding, putting his hand over Logan’s and squeezing. Logan blushed lightly, before turning away and out the door.

Virgil and Diego looked at each other and then Roman, who still smiled after Logan, “So…does that mean you two are okay, good now?

“I think so.” Roman’s voice was thick but lined with relief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! i’m excited and also very nervous about this chapter and hoped you all liked it! 
> 
> also, roman’s mother’s name, queen ahissa isabel, is pronounced I-ee-sha Ee-sa-bel, thank you!
> 
> feel free to comment your thoughts below!


	34. the tavern

The next two days, everything went smoothly. No one was quite sure exactly why Logan and Roman seemed closer, but they weren’t going to ask just in case it broke. Emile and Remy were able to relax since Roman seemed happy again, and Virgil learned the spell and could use it for huge ideas. He had stored tents and food in his pocket dimension that he learned wouldn't spoil as long as it stayed in the pocket.

Diego and Patton practiced their water manipulation as Logan practiced his air, Virgil experimented with the pockets, and Roman just watched happily. Virgil had moved the bed in their room into the pocket, and it seemed the more he actually used his magic, the more he was able to do before he passed out.

Patton threw a ball of water at Diego, and he threw it back, adding more water from a large bowl next to him. Patton did the same, the two throwing the water, concentrated, until Logan’s tiny tornado flew from where he was keeping it in between his hands and shot in between them. Diego screamed, hitting the floor and yelling for the others to do the same as a sharp flying disk of air zoomed around the room.

Roman laid on the floor, chuckling with Virgil full on cackling next to him as Logan blushed, launching his hand out to stop the movement of the disk, sitting down afterwards. 

Diego took a breath before standing up, grabbing Patton’s hand and pulling him up too. He hovered his hands in their arm and pulled up, the water dragging out of the wooden floor and the puddle it had settled in, and floating in the air again.

He dropped it in the bowl with a sigh, before looking at Virgil.

“Can you bring the bed back? I’m done for a while after Feathers over here scared the scales off me.”

Logan bristled at ‘Feathers,’ opening his mouth to say something back, but Virgil cut him off, “Sure.”

He pursed his lips and sliced his hand in the air, tensing both his hands and pulling the huge bed out of the pocket, settling in its place before making it tangible. He sighed, sitting down on it firmly as his head spun for a minute, but he caught himself quickly, shaking his head and getting back to normal.

“Ta da.”

Roman smiled, standing and walking over, wrapping an arm around his friend and the two laid back. The other three got on the bed, Diego and Logan sitting next to each other as Patton sprawled out happily. Roman chuckled and laid his head on Virgil’s chest, curling into him. Virgil carded his fingers through his hair, and Logan laid his hand on top of Roman’s, leaning into Diego as Patton laid his head in Logan’s lap, his wings laying over the others.

A knock on the door interrupted the five tired boys, and Remy walked in, Emile behind him. Logan pulled his wings back, his face red again, but Remy only chuckled, Emile brightening eeing them all get along.

“Alright boys, listen up.”

Roman looked up from where his head was buried but looked grumpy. Diego smiled at the sight before looking up to Remy.

“Tonight, we’re going to the tavern to have fun. I’m giving you each ten gold to spend, and use it well. Don’t come up to me asking for money, because I will ot give you any. Don’t ask Emile either.”

Emile’s eyes twinkled as if he knew the boys would do so anyway.

“I’d like you to stay at the restaurant, but you can go anywhere if you’d prefer, but stay together, okay?”

The boys mumbled an affirmative, and Remy nodded, “Lovely. We’ll leave in three hours, please look nicer than you look now.”

They turned away to the indignant sounds of five teenagers with a grin, Linking elbows with Emile and strolling out. Roman groaned, sitting up and getting out of the bed, cracking his back. He knows it’s going to be his job for everyone to look presentable and not insane, and he knew he’d better get started.

-o-

The seven walked into the lobby, ready to have fun on their last night in the village. The band was loud, and laughter and gleeful talking filled the air. 

Patton giggled, his grey eyes twinkling as he grabbed Virgil’s wrist and pulling the flustered dragon behind him to the dance floor. Virgil was grinning but looked scared as they approached the floor, but Patton just grabbed his hands and made him start dancing.

Remy chuckled, leading their husband to a table, and Roman, Logan, and Diego were left alone.

“So...uh...what do you two want to do?”

“Go back to the house,” Logan deadpanned, pushing up his glasses with a finger. Diego huffed out a laugh and answered, “Don’t you have the money on you, Ro? We can get our own table.”

Logan hummed, crossing his arms, “I’m fine with that.”

“Well then, alright. Lead the way then, Dee.” Roman grinned as Diego rolled his eyes, dramatically swinging his arms out and leading the two to a random table somewhat away from Remy’s.

As they sat, a waitress swung over, a tray in one hand and a bright grin on her face, “I’ll be right here to serve you in a moment!” She pulled out a small menu from her waist pocket and handed it to Roman with a wink. Roman swallowed, growing red as she walked away.

Diego rolled his eyes, snatching the menu out of Roman's hand and getting a laugh from the human. Logan rolled his shoulders in clear discomfort and peered over to read the menu.

It barely had anything on it, but the waitress came sweeping past right as they read it, asking what they wanted. Logan stumbled over his words, getting a simple stew and Diego the same. She turned to Roman and gave him a bright smile, leaning down and placing her face on her fist as her below balanced on the edge of the table.

“And what for you, handsome?”

Roman blinked a moment, his cheeks flushing before he got over it, winking at her and grinning, “I’ll get the roast ham and potatoes, love. And an ale.”

She laughed, writing down the orders before winking back at Roman and announcing she’d be back soon with waters for all of them.

Roman laughed to himself as he saw Diego narrow his eyes at him, but paid him no mind, reading the menu again. Virgil and Patton came swinging by the table, sitting loudly in between where Diego and Logan sat next to each other and where Roman sat across.

The five spoke loudly and laughed until the waitress came back with their food, handing it out to the three who ordered. Patton and Virgil asked for extra forks and spoons and the five picked off each other's meals.

She came swinging back with ale for Roman with a wink, and Roman thanked her, not noticing Logan’s face turning white.

Roman sipped his ale, sighing happily. He looked up and saw three confused faces and one horrified one, “What?”

“Is that allowed?”

“What? Drinking?”

“Yeah, you’re underage, aren't you, Ro?” Virgil asked, an eyebrow raising.

Roman shook his head, “I’m eighteen, turned so right before I joined you all. It’s totally legal.”

“I am too then! Can I have a sip?” Patton leaned forward, and Virgil almost fell out of his seat, “Pat, you’re older than me?”

Patton smiled, “I guess so, how old are you?”

Virgil pointed at himself and Logan, “We’re seventeen, and Diego’ll be so in a month or two.”

Diego grumbled, “Five weeks.”

Virgil ruffled his curly hair, “Aww, five weeks. You’re still a baby until then.”

Diego swatted at him with a fake glare, snorting. Logan kept staring at the alcohol, and Roman leaned it towards him, “What it is, Lo? Do you want to try?”

Logan launched out of his seat, his chair falling behind him, some customers looking over in confusion, but turning away just as quickly. Logan’s voice shook as he took a step back and away, “I-no-I-”

Logan shook his head, turning around and bolting out of the tavern. Roman called after him and made to stand up, but Diego grabbed his shoulder, pushing him back down, “It’s okay, I’ll talk to him.”

Roman sighed but nodded, feeling horribly guilty and not knowing why as Diego ran out of the tavern after Logan.

-o-

Logan sat inside their rented house, sitting on his bed with his wings wrapped around his lithe body. The glamour had broken as he cried, his panic snapping it quick. Remy had told them mental disorder could break the spell, but Logan hadn’t seen it until then.

He hated that just seeing alcohol made him panic. Roman was allowed to drink it, he wasn’t underaged. He knew that. But it still brought him back to that day, just seeing it made him remember seeing the fire and despair around him. The smell of fire and ash and people.

All Logan wanted was to return to his comfortable normality of his quiet village in the mountains, surrounded by his people and his family, but he can’t go back. The village is gone, his people dead, his fathers missing. 

Why was it Logan who still hurt? He was still shattered, still broken by what had happened.

Patton can still dance when his parents are gone. Remy and Emile can celebrate and laugh as if their lives aren’t in danger. Virgil and Diego can laugh as if humans hadn’t hurt them and destroyed their families before. Roman could move past the hurt of his mother’s death and not stew the pain his brother and father threw at him. Why couldn’t he?

Logan’s wings began to ache, wrapped too tightly around him, and he allowed them to drop down as his door opened. Diego stood there, the glamour still on his face but quickly fading as his worry grew. 

Logan still hated that they had to hide their true identities as Alimagians from the villagers or else they’d surely be killed or imprisoned. Logan hated them, hated that they took one look at anything different and scorned them, hated them.

But, Logan was glad Diego had followed him, checked on him.

Diego and Logan had known each other for almost four years, ever since Diego had begun staying with Logan’s uncle at age thirteen. When the two first met, they clashed like oil and water, both of them too headstrong, refusing to believe that they might be wrong and the other right.

As the years passed, though, through letters and visits, the two managed to become friends, though Logan felt more than that. When he’d feel Dee’s golden eyes peering at his wings and when he’d give him secretive smiles over his shoulder as he did whatever he wanted to with no regard for the rules, Logan’s heart would pound.

Diego’s brow furrowed as he saw Logan’s tear-stained face look at him, his eyes puffy and red, and his wings giving his body a faux hug.

“Lo? What happened?” Diego walked closer, sitting on Logan's bed next to the disheveled avian.

“I...it’s..nothing. I’m sorry.”

He hid his face underneath his wing, and Diego carefully peeled the feathered appendage back.

“It’s not nothing if you're upset, Logan.” Diego's face shimmered, but not with tears. His golden scales shined in the candlelight and his eyes shined with...some sort of emotion, Logan guessed.

“It’s just..it’s fine. I’m fine.” Logan rubbed his eyes with a hand and he waved it around to illustrate his point, “No need to worry.”

“Logan, please tell me what happened.”

“I-” Logan’s voice broke, “It’s just...he was drinking.” 

Logan stared down as the covers on the bed as if by not looking at Dieg, he wouldn’t notice the tears.

“What?”

“R-Roman was drinking. The day of the festival, my friends, Percy, Anton, and Nathan convinced me to get the local brewer to sneak me alcohol of any kind, and Emile caught me.”

He wiped his eyes, his voice and body shaking. Diego held his hand, and he continued quietly, “Emile said he wouldn’t get me in trouble, but we should check on my parents.”

He swallowed, “That’s when the bomb dropped.”

Diego sucked in a breath, but Logan kept going unable to stop, “We tried to find my dads, but they were gone. I tried to find my friends, and I saw the brewer and everyone in line dead. They were surrounded by the alcohol I tried to steal. Then I-I found Anton...but...but he-”

Logan’s voice broke completely and he was overtaken with sobs. Diego wrapped his arms around the avian tightly and Logan held him back, shaking in his arms as he sobbed into his shoulder.

“They were waiting for me, if I hadn’t said yes, they might have noticed the bomb and all of us would've gotten out, but now they’re dead, and it’s because of me.”

“No, no, Logan. It isn’t, it isn’t your fault not at all. Maybe something else would've happened if you’d said no, but you could've...died too. I don’t know what I would've done if you were gone, Lo. It isn’t your fault, there was nothing you could've done.”

Logan cried harder, his wings wrapping around the two of them. Diego still sat, holding him. He sat there holding him until Logan’s sobs subsided.

“I don’t know how to help you, Lo, but just know that I’ll be there for you through everything, alright? I promise.”

Logan pulled back, rubbing his face, “Alright.”

Diego plucked Logan’s glasses from his face, rubbing them dry of tears on his shirt and messily trying to place them back on Logan’s face, poking the avian in the eye.

“Shit, sorry.”

Logan snorted, grinning and looking into the merperson’s eyes, who looked relieved. Diego wiped a stray tear from Logan’s cheek and smiled, before standing up and stretching out his back. 

“Do you think you’re up to going back to the tavern?”

“I-okay. But no alcohol, please?”

Diego held his hands, smiling softly as he kissed Logan’s brow, “No alcohol.”

Logan blushed, looking away, and he let himself be led back to the tavern by Diego,and the other three didn’t even mention the avian’s absence earlier. The five laughed and ate and teased and had fun the rest of the night, and piled onto Virgil’s magical bed at the end of the night, exhausted, but happy. Logan’s heart felt lighter, and he fell asleep that night without having a single nightmare.


	35. the travelling

“And we’re off!”

Remy grinned back at the group, who all groaned in response, rubbing the sleep from their tired eyes. Even their husband yawned, a weak smile on his face but his shoulders dropping, and Remy was aware that if the glamor wasn’t on, his wings would be touching the floor.

That morning, they finalised everything. Virgil cleared out the kitchen, storing everything in the pocket before snapping the bed into two while Roman still laid on it. Roman woke up that way, startled and grumpy. Roman had carefully found his bag under one of the beds, though, so he calmed down quickly afterwards.

Everyone had packed their bags the night before they left for the tavern, so it was easy for them all to leave, only taking an hour or so from everyone waking up to leaving.

Diego dragged his feet, tired, and Logan leaned heavily on Roman as they walked. Patton seemed more energized, but even he didn’t walk with the normal pep in his step. Virgil seeme asleep on his feet as he walked, Diego holding his hand to make sure he kept up.

Remy just laughed. The boys shouldn’t’ve stayed up as late as they did, but they were still glad they did. Remy and Emile both couldn’t put it into words how happy the two were that their boys were finally close, all friends, but maybe something more.

Remy was hopeful the next village would be as good as the one they’re leaving, and they hoped the boys and their husband were too. Remy wished they didn’t have to leave so soon after, but was okay as long as they’d cut the trip shorter and arrive at the next village within the next month.

They’d been walking on the road for an hour when they came across a bridge over the river. Remy led the group to start walking along the river again like they did a week ago after making sure no one was watching them.

After walking for another thirty minutes, Remy removed the glamors from everyone. Logan let out a breath, stretching his wings out behind him as Diego rubbed the scales on his face.

Roman groaned, stretching his back out as Logan asked, “When are we stopping for the day?”

Remy hummed, “At around sundown.”

The entire group groaned, even Emile, and Remy just smiled, shrugging their shoulders, “I’m sorry, boys, but we have to make significant progress on the first day to be safe. Tomorrow, we’ll go less.”

The boys grumbled but kept walking. Roman attempted to braid Diego’s hair as they walked, but kept tugging on knots.

“Ow, shit, Ro.”

“Sorry!” Roman apologized, but his voice didn’t have any remorse. Diego swatted at him from over his shoulder. 

Logan groaned, his wing spread out to the side of him as he preened it, cleaning up the feathers and keeping them orderly, plucking the ones too out of place with a wince.

“Can I help?”

“With what?”

Patton motioned towards his wing, “You know, your wings? You seem to be struggling with the back feathers.”

Logan turned beet red, but he slowly nodded, stretching his other wing towards Patton and allowing him to mess with it as they walked, his blush not lessening.

“Someone tell a story or something. I’m bored out of my mind!”

Virgil groaned, and Roman smirked, the dragon having said the same thing almost every day back home at the cottage.

“Well, have I told you about the first day I ever learned to sword fight?”

Logan looked over, intrigued, “You haven’t, at least not to me.”

Diego snickered, hissing as Roman pulled a knot, “Well, it’s probably a hilarious tale.”

“It’s not hilarious,“ Roman pouted, “I stabbed my foot!”

Remy froze, ignoring the group before but now turning round, their face lined with clear and obvious glee, “Do tell.”

Roman groaned, “Fine.”

He was telling the story when Diego froze in his tracks, feeling eyes peering behind him. “Guys.” He murmured quietly but sharply, Roman removing his hands from Diego's now horribly rustled hair.

“Hmm?” Remy turned towards him, confused.

Diego felt the hairs on the back of his throat raise, and he turned towards the trees.

“Diego?” Remy asked, placing their hand on his shoulder.

Diego continued to peer at the trees, and suddenly, an arrow was shot as fast as lightning and hit the ground in front of his feet.

He screamed, “It’s a trap!” as Remy brought up a magical shield around the group, holding their hands out as far as possible to make sure no one got hit. Patton gasped as human men with bows hopped down from the trees around them, some coming out of the forest on foot with swords held dangerously in their hands and it could be easily said that the group of Alimagians was outnumbered by at least twenty humans.

“How’d they find us?” Emile said, panicked and frantically looking around, their wings raised high.

Remy cursed, “We should've waited longer to take off the glamors, damnit.”

Logan’s heart was racing, and he grabbed Roman’s hand, scared. Virgil held his other, and Roman squeezed bth of their hands to keep calm, even though his heart was frantic.

Diego tore their knives from their sheaths, throwing one at a soldier at a soldier as he tried to run at the shield. It flew through the magic and hit him in the arm. The running soldier fell, shouting in pain as blood spurted onto the ground. This started a furious rush of the rest of the men, who all ran towards the lilac shield surrounding the Alimagians.

The clash of metal again the shield of magic was jarring, and Remy cringed as they heard it, pushing back with their magic. Roman looked around them, paleing at their situation.   
  


“Remy, drop the shield,” he said in a steady monotone voice.

“What?” Remy yelled back, panicked and strained.

“We can fight back, drop it!”

Remy looked at him, and seeing the hard look in Roman’s eyes, they nodded, saying, “Okay, I trust you,” before dropping the barrier between them and the humans.


	36. the split

The fight immediately began, with Diego ripping the knife from the arm of the man, throwing them and impaling one soldier on a tree. 

Roman ripped his sword from its sheath, it popping into visibility as he swung it calculated and strong towards an archer, ripping his bow from his hands before smashing the pummel against his head.

Patton ran to the river, tensing his hands, allowing the water to flow upwards and surround him, immediately shooting it towards one of the men, holding them against the ground and knocking them out. Patton couldn’t kill him, the man had to have a family, but he at least had to get him away from them.

Virgil stared at Patton, a small smile creeping onto his lips as he tensed his arm and purple magic swirled around him. He pulled his arm back and threw it forward, a wave of magic travelling towards five of the soldiers, knocking them down and throwing their weapons far away. 

Virgil heard a yell, and turned to see a soldier standing over Patton, clutching a sharp knife and holding it over his throat. As the soldier moved to stab Patton, Virgil screamed, throwing his hand forward and blasting the man with his magic, the soldier’s body dead and smoking as it hit the ground. 

Virgil kneeled by Patton’s side as the battle continued around them, throwing up a shield he held up with one hand.

“Are you okay?” Virgil asked, slightly panicked, as if the only thing he could focus on was Patton and not the literal battle being fought not ten feet away.

Patton winced, trying to keep up a smile but failing as he clutched at his side, “I...I think so. He cut me, not deep, but I can’t fight. I’m sorry, “ Patton said, looking off to the side, almost ashamed that he was wounded.

Virgil clutched his hand, “The only thing that matters to me is that you’ll be okay.”

Patton stared into his eyes, a soft smile spreading on his lips. Virgil suddenly blushed heavily, kissing his forehead before turning his head quickly to the side, his hand still clutching Patton’s while the other held up the shield.

Meanwhile, Logan was silent as he flew into the air, forming complicated shapes with his hands as he brought up a soldier in the air and sent him crashing down back into the dirt. 

He swooped down, kicking out his foot and nailing a soldier in the back of the head who was about to shoot Dee. Diego saw, nodding in thanks to Logan as he pulled one of his knives out of a soldier and sprung back into battle.

Roman fought with a soldier, one he recognized as being in his king’s guard. He yelled out, “Who sent you?” as he dodged a swing of the man’s sword, hitting back with his own sword.

The man sneered, “We were scouting under rumours and you dirty Alimagians weren’t smart enough to predict it, magic-licker.”

Roman growled under his breath, swinging his sword at the man where he had forgotten to shield and slicing his side open, walking away as he fell to the ground, crying out.

As he walked away, he saw another guard begin to run towards Logan, sword in hand and blood-lust in his eyes. 

Roman, without thinking, ran towards Logan, sword in hand, and cut down the soldier aiming to stab him in the back. Logan gasped as he heard the wet choke behind him and he turned around, his bow still in hand, to see Roman wrenching his sword out of the dead back of another human. 

Their eyes met, and Roman winked before running at another soldier. Logan’s eyes lingered on Roman’s back, before he blushed, turning back to the battle before him.

Emile didn’t fight, and, using the wind to guard him, he ran to where Virgil and Patton were still holding hands. Emile smiled tensely at the two, who blushed and let go of each other. 

“No, no, you two are okay. Where's your wound, Patty-dear?”

Patton looked to Emile before looking back to his side, removing his hand, with a good amount of blood pooling out. Virgil blanched, but Emile just smiled at Patton. 

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Just let me…” He trailed off, holding his hands right above the wound as his wings stretched out. 

“Virgil, I know you’re not perfect yet, but hold your magic to the wound.”

“What? But what if-”

“None of that, please, Virgil. Just try. Pure magic on a wound can convince the wound to heal itself faster, much faster than normal. Just...attempt it, please.”

Virgil took a deep breath, pursing his lips and nodding sharply before pressing his hands down, ignoring Patton’s slight hiss, and beginning to hum. The wound began to glow purple as Virgil gathered the magic inside of him and carefully let it seep into Patton. 

Patton sighed, leaning into his touch as the magic healed his wound. After ten seconds, Patton was healed, weak, but healed.

“Do you think you can stand?”

Patton thought for a second before blushing, shaking his head.

Emile hummed, nodding to himself.

“Virgil,“ He said, the boy in question’s head snapping up from where it was looking at Patton before, “Protect Patton.”

Virgil nodded, a small smirk on his face, “Of course I will, “ he looked back down at Patton who smiled softly.

Emile chuckled, standing and returning back to the fight, immediately leveling a soldier with a gust of air, the man screaming before he slammed into the ground. Emile winced as he immediately was silenced. He didn’t enjoy killing or using his powers in this way, but he had to protect his family.

The battle started off well, with them having magic along with weapons and the others only having the later, but the Alimagians hadn’t practiced offensive magic for a long while, so soon enough, they were outnumbered, having to close ranks and protect each other's backs.

Emile cursed, “Fuck.”

Roman looked at him, confused, having never heard the avain curse before, but Emile took a deep breath, before saying to the boys and Remy, “I need you to run, boys. Remy and I...we'll try to hold them back.”

“Wait, no, Remy, w-we can h-“

Remy cut off Virgil's frantic yell, ”Get out of here, guys We’ll deal with this!”

Arrows were shot from all of their sides, Patton screaming as one nicked the side of his head. Roman’s breath quickened, his bones becoming heavier, his feet refusing to move. Diego grabbed his arm, his face stern but his eyes filled with water, “Roman, now!”

Roman let himself be pulled by Diego as Logan flew fast above them, and Virgil led the way back where they came from with Patton holding his hand tightly.

The avian, dragon, merpeople, and human ran as fast as they possibly could. They hadn’t heard any of the battle or any foot soldiers behind them for a mile or two, but they kept on running by the river until not even Diego knew where they were anymore. Diego yelled out, “Okay, everyone, stop!”

Logan stilled in the sky, screeching to a halt, “Did we lose them?”

Diego nodded, out of breath with his hands on his knees.

“For the last few miles or so,“ Roman breathed, trying to catch his breath. 

Diego waved a hand around, still out of breath, “Let’s...Let's make camp here for the night, and tomorrow we can set off in search for another village.”

Virgil scoffed under his breath, and argued back, “What village? None of us know any other villages here except for the one we just left, and we don’t exactly have money on us for the house! All we have are what was on us already and we have nowhere to go! We’re fucked! Bad things are gonna follow us everywhere we go! What's the use in trying anymore?” 

Virgil collapsed onto his backside, wrapping his arms around his knees as he buried his face into them. Roman walked up to Virgil, wrapping his arms around him, the dragon burying his face in his shoulder.

“Virgil,” The boy looked up, tears in his eyes, “We’ll keep trying because we have to. We have to keep going for Remy and Emile, they’re still fighting for us. We need to stay alive long enough for them to find us.”

Virgil was quiet for a few seconds, “Okay.”

Roman stood up from where he knelt and he looked at the othes, “Alright, we need to keep following the river. After we pass the bridge, we’ll go another few miles before staying in the woods for the night and making a camp. We’ll decide everything else when we get there. Okay?”

Logan pursed his lips and straightened but nodded, “Alright.”

“Great. Anyone else?”

The three others responded affirmatively and so the five set off again, Roman leading the group as Virgil leaned into him.

The dragon mumbled, looking up at Roman, his eyes teary and scared, “How can you be so numb to what's going on right now?”

Roman straightened, “I know how it feels to have to run, and it’s not a good feeling. But, I trust that we’ll find Rem and Em sooner rather than later, but until we do, I know we have to be prepared for anything.”

Virgil hummed quietly, nodding a shallow nod before standing straight, slipping his hand into Roman’s and walking stronger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: this was a part of the first chapter i ever wrote for this wayyy back in late 2018 lol
> 
> sorry there's been such a long hiatus, most of the chapters are finished but i've actually left the sanders sides fandom, so it's hard to go and finish the last few chapters with so little motivation. but, i know this fic still means a lot to a bunch of people so I'll try my best on finishing it for all of y'all <33

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to comment thoughts and theories, i love reading them!
> 
> follow me on tumblr at @lemonyellowlogic!


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